Raising a child with special Needs

Parenting  a special needs child is one of the most challenging and demanding tasks for a family to manage. Children with special needs are like other children but have some limitations that need special attention. Doctors , therapist and educators play a major role in assisting the children overcome their limitations but the final onus of integrating these children into mainstream life goes to the parents.One of a recent study found that the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) is near 12% in Indian Children aged 2-9 years . These neurodevelopmental disorders include Austin spectrum disorders , Learning disability , intellectual disability, ADHD ( attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ), conduct disorders , Cerebral palsy and impairments in hearing and vision. Children experience difficulty with language, speech, motor skills, behavior , memory, learning and other neurological functions. The symptoms may change or evolve while the child grows older but some disabilities are permanent . The diagnosis and treatment of these disabilities may be difficult and may need a specialist  like a developmental Pediatrician to diagnose and plan appropriate  intervention involving multi-professional therapy, medications, home and school based program.We at continua kids believe that a well informed and empowered parent can make a lot of difference to the life of children with special needs. Hence raising awareness in the community about these disorders and about their various methods of treatment  is important . It is a very well known fact that early identification by developmental screening can help in timely diagnosis leading to start of an early intervention program which are known to improve the long term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Development of a child can be monitored by tracking the  developmental milestones of a child . If those milestones are not achieved at a desired age than it is considered a red flag . Red flags demand details evaluation by a developmental Pediatrician followed by  necessary intervention to prevent disabilities and longterm developmental outcomes .

Certain common manifestation of developmental delay are  :

Achieved milestones later than the predicted age.

Stiffened upper and  lower extremity

Reduced tone (or Floppy trunk) / posture as compared to other children of same age .

One side of body is used significantly more than the other side of the body

Clumsy as compared to other children of same age.

difficulty in following objects with the eyes

Frequent rubbing of eyes

Turns head in usual position when looking at  objects

Difficulty in locating and picking small objects  (after 12 months of age)

Closing of one eye to look at distant objects

Hearing Signs :
Vocalizes in a very loud or very soft voice

does not startle to loud sounds

poor response to name call

unable to speak or pronounce words as other children of similar age

Difficulty in staying focused on an activity

Focuses attention on objects other than toys and prefers to play alone than interacting with peer or adults

Reduced Eye contact

Aggressive or stubborn behavior

Inattentiveness , hyperactivity as if always on a go , rocking  or spinning of the body, self talking , gibberish and repetitive speech

Reduced emotional response towards parents/ family and caretakers.

Dr Himani Narula khanna a Developmental Pediatrician states that early identification of developmental delay is easy, it can leads to an early diagnosis followed by timely intervention for better neurodevelopmental outcomes. For further support you may download Continuakids app from the play store or the app store to help you track the growth and development of the child from zero to 5 years and seek help when you find the reflags . For more support can  reach us via our website www.continuakids.com or can also message us from the continuakids app for support .