ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Intellectual disability: 

Intellectual disability is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and adaptive behavior, which covers a range of social and practical skills every day. This disability begins before the age of 1.

Chromosomal abnormalities/problems

1.      Down syndrome: (21 – thirsomy)

Individual have one extra chromosome in 21 pair ( 21+1) that causes Down syndrome that may also cause intellectual disability.

2.      Fragile X – syndrome:

Disease in which sex pairs X chromosome‘s genes become encharge, because of this brain development stops that cause abnormality.

3.      Phenylketonuria: (PKU)

• Genetic problem
• Phenylalanine (Amino acid)

Body does not breakdown phenylalanine. Breakdown of phenylalanine provide nutrients & releases specific hormones. If breakdown not occurs then it gathers in form of fluid that effect on myelin sheath. Impulses becomes slow down because of this individual is not able to perform functioning & it even cause death.

4.      Infectious diseases:

Infectious diseases occur because of virus and bacteria. Bacteria mostly affect the baby in first trimester of pregnancy. Bacteria and viruses  transferred from mother to baby that causes disability.

5.      Environmental hazards

• Pollutants cause abnormalities.
• Mercuray and leads in environment of mother during pregnancy causes disorder.
• Drug abuses by mother
• Wrong medicine taken by mother can even causes abnormality.

Treatment

1.      Residential treatment

Provide residence to Intellectual disable patients

Purpose: improve daily activity of life that are not performed independently by the patient.

Mild / moderate-treatment is used

2.      Behavioral treatment

Try to improve specific (targeted) behaviors of individual i.e. how  to hold spoon, eat food and change clothes etc.

1.      Cognitive treatment

Thinking effects on body. Brain doesn’t know the real difference. Work on thinking, work on self-instruction. Tell to learn through self-instruction and reinforcement. Mild /moderate individual treatment . Some devices are used as reminder to perform any task.

CONCLUSION 

intellectual disability is a neuro- developmental disorder that occurs by birth. intellectual disability is not able to treat properly but the condition of the patient can be improved by using different treatment methods.