HIDDEN DISABILITIES MEANINGS AND LINKSThe following are a list of 'Hidden' Disabilities often diagnosed with Autism. Where possible we have given links to the relevant National Organisations for each disability.
‘Hidden disability’ is a general phrase that simply means that a person’s disability (impairment or condition) is not obviously apparent or visible.
Autism is often one part of a complex diagnosis, which may also include one or more other 'Hidden' Disabilities.
This list is given as a GUIDE ONLY - Further Information and advice should be sought from a qualified Medical Practitioner, or from the relevant Organisation.
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ADD - Attention Deficit Disorderupdated: 25/11/2008 ADD is a similar disability to ADHD, sharing many of the characteristics, much speculation exists as how to categorise both.
It is generally believed that ADD is where the person cannot stay focused on a task, but does not have the Hyperactivity as defined with ADHD.
Other than this marked difference, ADD and ADHD are served by the same UK Organisiation (Addiss) and further clarification on ADD/ADHD should be sought from them.
WEBSITE: www.addiss.co.uk
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ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderlast updated: 25/11/2008 ADHD is usually characterised by the following:
- Inattention -Often does not give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
- Often has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities
- Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
- Often does not follow instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
- Often has trouble organizing activities
- Often avoids, dislikes, or doesn't want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework)
- Often loses things needed for tasks and activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)
- Is often easily distracted
- Is often forgetful in daily activities
Six or more of the following symptoms have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate.
Hyperactivity:
- Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
- Often gets up from seat when remaining in seat is expected
- Often runs about or climbs when and where it is not appropriate
- Often has trouble playing or enjoying leisure activities quietly
- Is often "on the go"
- Often talks excessively
Impulsivity
- Often blurts out answers before questions have been finished
- Often has trouble waiting one's turn
- Often interrupts or intrudes on others (butting into conversations or games)
There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, school, or work functioning.
WEBSITE: www.addiss.co.uk
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DYSLEXIAupdated: 25/11/2008 Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills.
Difficulties include:
- Reading hesitantly
- Misreading, making understanding difficult
- Difficulty with sequences, e.g. getting dates in order
- Poor organisation or time management
- Difficulty organising thoughts clearly
- Erratic spelling
It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods, but its effects can be mitigated by appropriately specific intervention, including the application of information technology and supportive counselling.
WEBSITE:www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
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DYSGRAPHIAupdated: 25/11/2008 Dysgraphia has been described as:
"writing skills (that) ...are substantially below those expected given
the person's ...age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate
Indicators of Dysgraphia include:
- Illegible handwriting (in spite of trying hard)
- Handwriting needs a big effort
- Handwriting takes a long time
- Pain in your hand or arm after a short time
- Letter formation usually odd or wrong
- Struggling to make the pen do what you want
- All of this being worse when you are stressed
When making a diagnosis, most of the Indicators listed will be aknowledged as being there 'all the time'. Dysgraphia is not connected to Intelligence, or ability to read.
WEBSITE:www.schooldoctor.co.uk
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DYSPRAXIAupdated: 25/11/2008 People with Dyspraxia usually have a combination of problems, including:
- Poor balance and posture and hand/eye coordination
- Clumsy gait and movement
- Exaggerated movements'(such as flapping)
- Tendency to fall/trip/bump into things and people
- Difficulty using tools and implements
- Difficulty dressing and grooming self
- Poorly established hand dominance
- May talk continuously and repeat themselves,with unclear speech
- Difficulty following moving object smoothly with eyes without moving head excessively
- Poor visual perception
- Over-sensitive to light,noise,touch, pain and smell
- Lack of spacial Awareness
- Little sense of time, speed, distance or weight
- Difficulty distinguishing right from left
- Poor memory,sequencing,and accuracy
- Difficulty following instructions
- Can be tactless,Impulsive, interrupting frequently with a tendency to take things literally
Easily frustrated, wanting immediate gratification
People with Dyspraxia tend to get stressed, depressed and anxious easily.
Prone to low self-esteem, emotional outbursts, phobias, fears, obsessions, compulsions and addictive behaviour.
WEBSITE: www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk:
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EPILEPSYupdated: 25/11/2008 Epilepsy is defined as a tendency to have recurrent seizures (sometimes called fits),which is caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in the brain, causing a temporary disruption in the normal message passing between brain cells.
Sometimes the reason epilepsy develops is clear. It could be because of brain damage during birth; a severe blow to the head; a stroke which starves the brain of oxygen; or an infection of the brain such as meningitis. Very occasionally the cause is a brain tumour. Epilepsy with a known cause is called ‘symptomatic’ epilepsy. For most people - six out of ten, in fact - there is no known cause and this is called ‘idiopathic’ epilepsy.
About 20-30% of children with Autism develop epilepsy (usually in the early teens); neuro-imagining techniques reveal abnormalities in brain function in others.
WEBSITE: www.epilepsy.org.uk
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OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorderupdated: 25/11/2008 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a serious anxiety-related
condition that affects as many as three in a hundred people – from young children to older adults.
OCD can take many forms, but, in general sufferers experience:
The Obsession:
Repetitive, intrusive and unwelcome thoughts, images, impulses and doubts which they find hard to ignore.
Including:
Common obsessions include: contamination and germs, causing harm to oneself or to others, upsetting, violent or blasphemous thoughts, the ordering or arrangement of objects and worries about throwing things away.
These usually (but not always) cause the person to perform repetitive compulsions in a vain attempt to relieve themselves of the obsessions and neutralise the fear.
Sufferers try to fight these thoughts with mental or physical rituals, the compulsions, which involve repeatedly performing actions such as washing, cleaning, checking, counting, hoarding or partaking in endless rumination. Avoidance of feared situations is also common; however, this often results in further worrying and preoccupation with the obsessional thoughts.
Most sufferers know that their thoughts and behaviour are irrational and senseless, but feel incapable of stopping them. This has a significant impact on their confidence and self-esteem and as a result, their careers, relationships and lifestyles.
WEBSITE:www.ocduk.org
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SPD - Semantic Pragmatic Disorderupdated: 25/11/2008 Semantic Pragmatic Disorder is considered part of the Autistic Spectrum, having similar characteristics to Autism (socialising,language,flexibilty/imagination) in addition, those with SPD will also have difficulty:
- absorbing,processingand analysing both verbal and visual information
- acting and speaking appropriately
- Comprehending concepts such as space,time and feelings
They may also be easily distracted, over friendly or a loner.
Most (though not all) are fluent speakers - but this is often on their own terms.
WEBSITE: www.spdsupport.org.uk
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RHETT SYNDROMEupdated: 25/11/2008 Rett syndrome is a complex neurological disorder which is genetic in origin. It affects mainly girls, and only a very few boys. Although present at birth, it becomes more evident during the second year. It could occur in any family at any time. Something goes wrong with the genetic makeup of the cells which become the baby. Rett syndrome was first described in 1966 by the Austrian doctor, Andreas Rett. People with Rett syndrome are profoundly and multiply disabled and highly dependent on others for their needs throughout their lives.
Typically, children with Rett syndrome begin by developing fairly normally but go through a period of regression, losing acquired skills; this can be accompanied by distress and anxiety.
At least one in every 10,000 females born has Rett syndrome. It is believed to be the second most common cause of severe and profound learning disability in girls. A large proportion of people who have Rett syndrome have a mutation, or fault, on the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome.
There are substantial communication and mobility issues for people with Rett syndrome. Most will not speak and, by adulthood, only 50% will walk. However, we are increasingly aware of people with Rett syndrome living well into their 50s and beyond.
WEBSITE: www.rettsyndrome.org.uk
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FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROMEupdated: 25/11/2008 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is the biggest cause of non-genetic mental handicap in the western world and the only one that is 100% preventable.
The following symptoms are associated with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS):
- Low birth weight
- Small head
- Flat face with a snub nose and unusually smooth area between nose and mouth
- Thin upper lip
- Small, widely spaced eyes with prominent folds of skin on the nasal side of the eye
- Specific or general learning difficulties
- Hyperactivity and attention problems (including Autism)
WEBSITE: www.fasaware.co.uk
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ATTACHMENT DISORDERupdated: 25/11/2008 Attachment Disordermay develop as an effect of not experiencing positive actions and bonding with adults during their early years of life.
The child may show some or all of the following symptoms:
- cynicysm and negativity
- difficulty sustaining satisfying human relationships
- lack of basic trust
- little understanding of 'normal'behaviour
They may show feelings of being alone,different and rejected. These feelings can manifest into a deep-rooted anger.
A child or adult with Attachment Disorder may appear overtly confident, but internal insecurities mean they often feel at fault, even helpless.
WEBSITE:www.adsg.syix.com
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APD - Auditory Processing Disorderupdated: 25/11/2008 Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) (previously known as "Central Auditory Processing Disorder" (CAPD)) is a disorder in the way auditory information is processed in the brain. It is not a sensory (inner ear) hearing impairment; individuals with APD usually have normal peripheral hearing ability. APD is an umbrella term that describes a variety of problems with the brain that can interfere with processing auditory information.
APD is recognized as a major cause of Dyslexia. As APD is one of the more difficult information processing disorders to detect and diagnose, it may sometimes be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD.
WEBSITE: www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
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NLD - Non-Verbal Learning Difficultyupdated: 25/11/2008 Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) (also known as NVLD) is a developmental or learning disorder with manifestations in the following domains:
- Sensory and motor functions
- Visual functions
- arithmetic
- social cognition
- inferential reasoning
External symptoms predominate in the preschool and early school years:
- attention-deficit/hyperactivity
- oppositional-defiant disorders
Preadolescent and adolescent years:
a gradual shift towards internalizing symptoms:
- anxiety and depression
- long-term academic and social-interpersonal failure
- social isolation and awkwardness
- lack of social cognition and social abilities
Individuals with NLD have difficulties generalizing from one situation to another and learning from experience. It can be hard for them to interpret the subtleties encountered in social interactions, which may involve, for example, nonverbal gestures and facial cues indicating irony or cynicism.
WEBSITE:www.nldontheweb.org
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BIPOLAR DISORDERupdated: 25/11/2008 Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another. If you have bipolar disorder, you will have periods, or episoes of depression and mania. The two extremes are characterised as follows:
DEPRESSION where you feel very low:
- feeling sad and hopeless
- lack of energy
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
- loss of interest in everyday activities
- feelings of emptiness or worthlessness
- feelings of guilt and despair
- feeling pessimistic about everything
- self-doubt
- difficulty sleeping and waking up early
- suicidal thoughts
MANIA where you feel very high:
- feeling extremely happy, elated or euphoric
- talking very quickly
- feeling full of energy
- feeling full of self-importance
- feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans
- being easily distracted
- being easily irritated or agitated
- not sleeping
- not eating
- doing lots of pleasurable things which often have disastrous consequences e.g. spending a lot of money which you cannot afford
During periods of Depression and Mania, the sufferer may also have psychotic episoes or psychosis, involving hallucinations and/or delusions.
Persons with Bi-Polar disorder are more prone to Suicidal tendencies, the Severity of Bi-Polar disorder can vary between those affected.
WEBSITE:www.bipolaraware.co.uk
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TOURETTE'S SYNDROMEupdated: 25/11/2008 Tourettes Syndrome is a movement disorder, often characterised by involountary body movements or vocal 'tics'.
Tourettes Syndrome often manifests in childhood, and the Severity of tics can vary from person to person, they can also vary in severity within a particular individual.
Those persons with Tourettes may APPEAR aggressive, have mood swings and behave in unpredictable ways.
Those with tourettes can have problems with Self-Esteem, due to the often public nature of their tics, or 'outbursts' which are often worse in public, unfamiliar or stressful situations.
Although there is no cure, Tourettes, in most cases can be helped with the appropriate medication.
WEBSITE: www.tourettes-action.org.uk
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FRAGILE X SYNDROMEupdated: 25/11/2008 Fragile X syndrome (or Martin-Bell syndrome) is the most common inherited cause of learning disability.
In fragile X, one of the genes on the X chromosome is faulty. When normal, this gene makes a protein necessary for brain development, but when it's faulty little or none of the protein is made.
The gene that causes fragile X is called FMR1 (fragile X mental retardation 1) gene. A constriction can be detected near the tip of the X chromosome, which makes it fragile and susceptible to breaking.
Boys are usually more severely affected as they have only one X chromosome. Girls have a second X chromosome, which can be used instead of the faulty one, and may have only mild disabilities. They may also be carriers of the condition.
The main problem in fragile X is mental impairment. This can range from very minor, so that the person has a normal IQ and shows no sign of fragile X, to learning difficulties. How badly someone is affected depends on the degree of change in the gene.
Other symptoms include hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, emotional and behavioural problems, anxiety and mood swings.
There may also be characteristic facial features, such as a long face and large ears. Other physical features include flat feet and hyperextensible joints.
WEBSITE: www.fragilex.org.uk
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PDA - Pathalogical Demand Avoidanceupdated: 25/11/2008 Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA) is a pervasive developmental disorder,related to, but not the same as Autism and Asperger Syndrome.
Those with PDA are typically socially manipulative with people, and therefore superficially socially skilled, which sets them apart from Autism and Asperger Syndrome
The most central characteristic of people who have PDA is their obvious, obsessional avoidance of the ordinary demands of everyday life.They lack a clear and defined sense of self, and so, do not view themselves as being responsible for their actions.
The person with PDA is highly motivated to avoid demands and may even appear manipulative, as a variety of strategies are used with such determination toward the desired outcome of escaping demands.
Characteristics Include:
- Passive Early History in first year
- Continues to resist and avoid ordinary demands of life
- Surface sociability, but apparent lack of sense of social identity, pride or shame
- Lability of Mood, impulsive, led by need to control
- Comfortable in role play and pretending
- Language delay, seemingly as a result of passivity
- Obsessive behaviour
WEBSITE: www.pdacontact.org.uk
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