Lesser Known Disorders
Each issue of this series contains at least three lesser known disorders. Some of these disorders may contain subtypes which will also be presented. You will also notice that each disorder has a code. These codes represent the coding system for all disabilities and disorders listed in the Educator’s Diagnostic Manual(EDM) Wiley Publications.
Disorders in this issue:
AU 6.00 Multiplex Developmental Disorder
Disability Category – Autism
Definition
Multiplex Complex (Multiplex) Developmental Disorder (MCDD) is a proposed developmental disorder (or syndrome) designed to encompass preschool and early school age children who have consistent and enduring deficits in affect regulation, relatedness, and thought. Such children are thought to represent another variant in the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders (Demb & Noskin, 2001).
Diagnostic Symptoms
MDD symptoms emerge in earliest childhood, often in the first years of life, and persist throughout development. Diagnostic criteria for MDD include (Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic, 2005):
- 1. Impaired social behavior/sensitivity, similar to that seen in autism, such as:
Social disinterest
Detachment, avoidance of others, or withdrawal
Impaired peer relations
Highly ambivalent attachments
Limited capacity for empathy or understanding what others are thinking or feeling - 2. Affective symptoms, including:
Impaired regulation of feelings
Intense, inappropriate anxiety
Recurrent panic
Emotional lability, without obvious cause - 3. Thought disorder symptoms, such as:
Sudden, irrational intrusions on normal thoughts
Magical thinking
Confusion between reality and fantasy
Delusions such as paranoid thoughts or fantasies of special powers
Further Key Points
There are some children who display the severe, early-appearing social and communicative deficits characteristic of autism who also display some of the emotional instability and disordered thought processes that resemble schizophrenic symptoms. Cohen et al. (1986) coined the term Multiplex Developmental Disorder (MDD) to describe these children, although they are often given a diagnosis of PDD-NOS by clinicians who may be unfamiliar with this terminology (Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic, 2005)
OI 1.07 Idiopathic Juvenile Osteoporosis
Disability Category-Orthopedic Impairment
Definition
Osteoporosis literally means “porous bone.” It is a disease characterized by too little bone formation or excessive bone loss or a combination of both. People with osteoporosis have an increased risk of fractures. It is most common in older people, especially older women.
Osteoporosis is rare in children and adolescents. When it does occur, it is usually caused by an underlying medical disorder or by medications used to treat the disorder. This is called secondary osteoporosis. Sometimes, however, there is no identifiable cause of osteoporosis in a child. This is known as idiopathic osteoporosis(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeltal and Skin Diseases, 2005).
Explanation
Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis (IJO) is diagnosed after excluding other causes of juvenile osteoporosis (i.e., primary diseases or medical therapies known to cause bone loss, as discussed above). IJO was first identified in the medical literature in 1965 (Dent and Friedman, 1965). Since then, fewer than 100 cases have been reported.
This rare form of osteoporosis typically occurs in previously healthy children just before the onset of puberty (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2003b). The average age of onset is between 8 and 14 years, but it may also occur in younger children during periods of rapid growth. The most notable feature of IJO is that it can remit within two to four years.
ED 2.00-VI 6.04-Blepharospasm
(Benign essential blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm)
Disability Category – Visual Impairment
Definition
Blepharospasm is an abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids (National Eye Institute, 2005).
Diagnostic Symptoms
Symptoms Blepharospasm is associated with an abnormal function of the basal ganglion from an unknown cause. The basal ganglion is the part of the brain responsible for controlling the muscles. In rare cases, heredity may play a role in the development of blepharospasm.
Most people develop blepharospasm without any warning symptoms. It may begin with a gradual increase in blinking or eye irritation. Some people may also experience fatigue, emotional tension, or sensitivity to bright light. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more frequent, and facial spasms may develop. Blepharospasm may decrease or cease while a person is sleeping or concentrating on a specific task (National Eye Institute, 2005).
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