Attention - Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)


What is ADHD


ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Neurodevelopmental means having to do with the way the brain grows and develops.

Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.

Types & Symptoms

There are three different ways ADHD presents itself, depending on which types of symptoms are strongest in the individual at the time of diagnosis:

  • Predominantly inattentive presentation

    • It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.

  • Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation

    • The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.

  • Combined presentation (a combination of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms)

    • Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.


Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)


What is ASD?

  • People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support.

  • As children with ASD become adolescents and young adults, they may have difficulties developing and maintaining friendships, communicating with peers and adults, or understanding what behaviors are expected in school or on the job. They may come to the attention of healthcare providers because they also have conditions such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which occur more often in people with ASD than in people without ASD.

Signs and Symptoms

  • Social communication and interaction skills

    Social communication and interaction skills can be challenging for people with ASD.

    Examples of social communication and social interaction characteristics related to ASD can include

    • Avoids or does not keep eye contact

    • Does not respond to name by 9 months of age

    • Does not show facial expressions such as happy, sad, angry, and surprised by 9 months of age

    • Does not play simple interactive games by 12 months of age

    • Uses few or no gestures by 12 months of age (for example, does not wave goodbye)

    • Does not share interests with others by 15 months of age (for example, shows you an object that they like)

    • Does not point to show you something interesting by 18 months of age

    • Does not notice when others are hurt or upset by 24 months (2 years) of age

    • Does not notice other children and join them in play by 36 months (3 years) of age

    • Does not pretend to be something else, like a teacher or superhero, during play by 48 months (4 years) of age

    • Does not sing, dance, or act for you by 60 months (5 years) of age

  • Restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests

    People with ASD have behaviors or interests that can seem unusual. These behaviors or interests set ASD apart from conditions defined by problems with social communication and interaction only.

    Examples of restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests related to ASD can include

    • Lines up toys or other objects and gets upset when order is changed

    • Repeats words or phrases over and over (called echolalia)

    • Plays with toys the same way every time

    • Is focused on parts of objects (for example, wheels)

    • Gets upset by minor changes

    • Has obsessive interests

    • Must follow certain routines

    • Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles

    • Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel

  • Other characteristics

    Most people with ASD have other related characteristics. These might include

    • Delayed language skills

    • Delayed movement skills

    • Delayed cognitive or learning skills

    • Hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive behavior

    • Epilepsy or seizure disorder

    • Unusual eating and sleeping habits

    • Gastrointestinal issues (for example, constipation)

    • Unusual mood or emotional reactions

    • Anxiety, stress, or excessive worry

    • Lack of fear or more fear than expected

It is important to note that children with ASD may not have all or any of the behaviors listed as examples here


Celebral Palsy


What is Celebral Palsy (CP)?

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness in or problems with using the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person's ability to control their muscles. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.

The symptoms of CP vary from person to person. A person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk or might not be able to walk at all and might need lifelong care. A person with mild CP, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help. CP does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person's lifetime.

All people with CP have problems with movement and posture. Many also have related conditions such as the following:

  • Intellectual disability

  • Seizures

  • Problems with vision, hearing, or speech

  • Changes in the spine (such as scoliosis)

  • Joint problems (such as contractures)

Types of CP

Doctors classify CP according to the main type of movement disorder involved. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, one or more of the following movement disorders can occur:

  • Stiff muscles (spasticity)

  • Uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia)

  • Poor balance and coordination (ataxia)

The four main types of CP are:

Spastic cerebral palsy

The most common type of CP is spastic CP. Spastic CP affects about 80% of people with CP.

People with spastic CP have increased muscle tone. This means their muscles are stiff and, as a result, their movements can be awkward. Spastic CP usually is described by which parts of the body are affected:

  • Spastic diplegia/diparesis: Muscle stiffness is mainly in the legs, with the arms less affected or not affected at all. Tight hip and leg muscles cause legs to pull together, turn inward, and cross at the knees (also known as scissoring), making walking difficult.

  • Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis: Affects only one side of a person's body; usually the arm is more affected than the leg.

  • Spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis: Most severe form of spastic CP and affects all four limbs, the trunk, and the face. People with spastic quadriparesis usually cannot walk and often have other developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability; seizures; or problems with vision, hearing, or speech.

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy

People with dyskinetic CP have problems controlling the movement of their hands, arms, feet, and legs, making it difficult to sit and walk.

Dyskinetic CP includes athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies. The movements are uncontrollable and can be slow and writhing or rapid and jerky. Sometimes the face and tongue are affected, and the person has a hard time sucking, swallowing, and talking. A person with dyskinetic CP has muscle tone that can change (varying from too tight to too loose) not only from day to day, but even during a single day.

Ataxic cerebral palsy

People with ataxic CP have problems with balance and coordination. They might be unsteady when they walk. They might have a hard time with quick movements or movements that need a lot of control, like writing. They might have a hard time controlling their hands or arms when they reach for something.

Mixed cerebral palsy

Some people have symptoms of more than one type of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is spastic-dyskinetic CP.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs of CP vary greatly because there are many different types and levels of disability. The main sign that a child might have CP is a delay reaching motor or movement milestones (such as rolling over, sitting, standing, or walking). Following are some other signs of possible CP. It is important to note that some children without CP also might have some of these signs.

In a baby younger than 6 months of age

  • His head lags when you pick him up while he's lying on his back.

  • He feels stiff.

  • He feels floppy.

  • When held cradled in your arms, he seems to overextend his back and neck, constantly acting as if he is pushing away from you.

  • When you pick him up, his legs get stiff and they cross or scissor.

In a baby older than 6 months of age

  • She doesn't roll over in either direction.

  • She cannot bring her hands together.

  • She has difficulty bringing her hands to her mouth.

  • She reaches out with only one hand while keeping the other fisted.

In a baby older than 10 months of age

  • He crawls in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg.

  • He scoots around on his buttocks or hops on his knees, but does not crawl on all fours.


Hearing Loss

What is Hearing Loss

A hearing loss can happen when any part of the ear is not working in the usual way. This includes the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, hearing (acoustic) nerve, and auditory system.

Signs & Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of hearing loss are different for each child. If you think that your child might have hearing loss, ask the child's doctor for a hearing screening as soon as possible. Don't wait!

Even if a child has passed a hearing screening before, it is important to look for the following signs.

Signs in babies

  • Does not startle at loud noises.

  • Does not turn to the source of a sound after 6 months of age.

  • Does not say single words, such as "dada" or "mama" by 1 year of age.

  • Turns head when he or she sees you but not if you only call out his or her name. This sometimes is mistaken for not paying attention or just ignoring, but could be the result of a partial or complete hearing loss.

  • Seems to hear some sounds but not others.

Signs in children

  • Speech is delayed.

  • Speech is not clear.

  • Does not follow directions. This sometimes is mistaken for not paying attention or just ignoring, but could be the result of a partial or complete hearing loss.

  • Often says, "Huh?"

  • Turns the TV or radio volume up too high.

  • Turns the TV or radio volume up too high.

Source: Materials developed by CDC