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Exceptional Needs •

Down Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Down syndrome is a condition caused by a chromosomal anomaly. Babies inherit 23 chromosomes from each of their parents. However, a child with Down syndrome will have three chromosomes at the 21st pairing. This is why Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21.

 

 

There are currently three categories of Down syndrome:

 

 

Trisomy 21 is the most common type of Down syndrome. Trisomy 21 refers to an extra, partial, or full chromosome present at the 21st pair. The 21st chromosome affect...
Exceptional Needs •

Dyslexia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that impacts word recognition, phonemic awareness, spelling, and decoding abilities. The struggle to decode words can also affect reading comprehension and a desire to grow in reading. 

 

 

Dyslexia is a reading disability brought on due to differences in the area of our brains that process language. Dyslexia is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder and is listed in the DSM-5 as a Specific Learning Disability.

 

 

Being dyslexic does not me...
Exceptional Needs •

Speech Delay: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

A speech delay occurs when a child cannot use language appropriate for their specific age group. 

 

 

A mild speech delay can occur in a typically developing child as children progress at different rates. Many factors can cause a mild delay. Sometimes, children raised in bilingual homes might progress more slowly with speech. Boys also commonly start speaking a little later than girls. Slight speech delays are not generally something to be concerned about. However, if your child is still not...
Exceptional Needs •

Occupational Therapy: Tips and Overview

Occupational therapy focuses on helping people strengthen or develop skills that can assist in their daily living activities and, therefore, help them live more independently.

 

 

PT, or physical therapy, is dedicated to helping a person regain more mobility and strengthen their body. For example, a physical therapist might help a person recover from a knee injury by using exercises to help increase their range of motion. However, an occupational therapist focuses on assisting a person in per...
Exceptional Needs •

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy: Tips and Overview

Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, is a type of therapy focused on redirecting or diminishing negative behaviors by using positive reinforcement and tracking behavioral occurrences. ABA therapy is considered the “gold standard” in autism treatment. 

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The principles of ABA focus on positive reinforcement to improve specific skill deficits and discourage undesirable behaviors. A plan is developed by a board-certified behavior analyst and is carried out across a variety of settings. The board...
Exceptional Needs •

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Autism spectrum disorder is a Neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how the brain processes different situations. ASD affects how a person communicates and socializes. ASD also includes repetitive and limiting behaviors.

 

Autism cannot be simply defined into exact "types" per se because it is a spectrum disorder. As autistic professor of special education and advocate Stephen Shore once said, "When you meet one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." However, before autism...