Developmental Dysphasia A delay in attaining speech and language functions in children who are otherwise normal – no deafness, no mental retardation or other congenital defects of the lips, palate, tongue or throat. The defect may be in comprehending (understanding), in expressing or both Suspicion arises – if there is - Failure to respond to familiar names by first-birthday Failure to identify common objects by names by 18 months Inability to say a single word by 2 years Failure to follow common instructions by 2 years. Failure to speak 2 word phrases by 3 years Persisting articulation problem beyond 7 years

While 1% of all children born have severe degree of language delay, 4 to 8% have varying degrees of delay.

Learning Disability

A heterogenous group of conditions manifesting as an educationally significant discrepancy between intellectual performance and actual level of academic achievements
These children should not be -

• Mentally retarded
• Primary sensory deprived like deaf / blind
• Educationally, culturally or socially deprived
• Emotionally disturbed / psychiatric patients
  

They may have problems in discrete areas of language processing and learning.

• Reading – Dyslexia
• Writing – Dysgraphia
• Calculation – Dyscalculia
• Spelling – Primary spelling disorders
• Mixed disorders – Problems in all spheres (ie. reading, writing, calculations)
  

Learning disability is identified as the most costly disease— Stroke only second ! The prevalence varies from

10% to as high as 23% of school going population. Familial clustering is known 2 to 3 times more common in males. Associated left-handedness, allergic disorders are known. Early detection and corrective education can ameliorate the problem. Do you know that many great intellectuals of the world were Dyslexic.

Gifted Children with Learning Disability
A rare combination of learning disability with giftedness in general intellectual abilities, creativity, specific academic abilities, leadership and talents in visual and performing arts.

Developmental Gerstman Syndrome (DGS)
Is a type of learning disability where characteristically a group of symptoms coexist to form a distinct syndrome. The children characteristically have severe difficulty in writing and calculation. The features of the syndrome include:

• Dyscalculia
• Dysgraphia
• Right – left confusion
• Finger agnosia

Landau Kleffner Syndrome A child having previously normal language development losses both expressive and receptive language skills without accompanying cognitive decline, with or without clinical seizures but with abnormal EEG. The cause of epilepsy may be heterogeneous. The epilepsy can be treated successfully with medicines, but the language disability may persist.

Autism
Is a pervasive developmental disorder, with abnormal behavioral manifestation occurring between 2.5 to 3 years of age, which include:

• Impairment of social reciprocal behavior
• Abnormal or impaired speech and language development
• Demand for sameness
• Often associated with mental retardation
• Restricted repertoire of interests and activities
• Abnormal stereotypic or repetitive motor activities

Autism is the most challenging disorder to all those researchers in the area of cognitive, language and behavioral neurosciences. Recently, there is a tendency for increase in the prevalence of the disorder from 5 in 10,000 to 1 in 250. Males are more affected than females. No single etiological agents have been identified so far. Its association with many known genetic disorders like Fragile X-syndrome, tuberous sclerosis and other genetic determined metabolic disorders point to genetic origin of the disorder

Asperger’s Syndrome A type of pervasive developmental disorder characterized by Poor social reciprocal interaction Restricted and stereotypic repertoire of interest and activities Normal general intelligence Onset between 7 and 24 months Social play and development affected in the first 3 years Loss / partial loss of development of language skills. Abnormal stereotypic or repetitive hand movements Predominantly in boys

Rett Syndrome

• Is yet another type of pervasive developmental disorder with unknown cause
• Found only in girls
• Normal development up to 5 months to 1 year of age
• Gradual decrease in head size
• Loss or regression of acquired motor skills and speech skills
• Episodes of hyper ventilation
• Abnormal EEG