We begin to realize that some people have negative differences, which we learn are called disabilities or impairments.
This is a look at the various types of impairments a person may experience. Notice I don't say suffer. More on that attitude later.
Hey, down here with wheels!
When you're in a wheelchair, the entire world is about two feet taller. Reaching for objects is like climbing onto a roof without a ladder. People may stare, others ignore you and invade your personal space. Yes, the wheelchair is an extension of your person. It's taking the place of your limbs to move you around.
Why do people end up in a wheelchair? Your first thought may be paralysis. yes, this is true. But a large range of conditions may result in mobility assistance, some temporary, others permanent.
Spinabifida or Cerebral palsy are among the permanent causes. Spinal cord damage can make a person have difficulty moving or unable to move at all.
Arthritis, serious illness (cancer, say) or a broken leg may cause pain or difficulty enough that the individual opts to use a chair as needed until symptoms improve.
A person with a deformity-- an amputee, or someone whose legs are incapable of supporting weight may also use a chair.
Also, someone with a movement disorder like Parkinson's disease may be in danger of injury due to falls, or may be wracked by involuntary movements that make walking impossible. I use a wheelchair myself due to my Tourette Syndrome, which causes me to fall, kick myself, and jerk my body so that walking is very difficult.
Not all people in wheelchairs are completely unable to walk. They may carry crutches or canes as well to walk when they can. Just because they get out of the chair to go to the bathroom does not mean they're faking.
Wheelchairs are not looked upon as symbols of helplessness by those who use them, but as tools that enable and give immeasurable independence when it would not otherwise be possible.
Pardon, what does that sign say?
People with visual and hearing impairments are among the most commonly recognized "disabled". You may first think of complete blindness or complete Deafness, but in fact, many who are "hearing impaired" or "blind" do have some vision or hearing. It is simply not of average quality, thus causing difficulty significant enough to warrant assistance of some sort.
People who are visually impaired may have trouble navigating, and may use tools such as a cane to feel, or a guide dog.
Those who are Deaf often communicate using sign language and lip-reading. They may have sign-language translators to facilitate communciation with people who do not know American Sign Language.
For many, the biggest obstacle is the attitude of the public regarding their capabilities. Ignorant bystanders may assume someone is unable to do something without asking. In some situations, this is simply discrimination.
If you ever played a game in which you were blindfolded, you understand a bit what it is to navigate without the aid of vision. In my Tourette Syndrome, I have also experienced 'blindness' on days when my eyelids have spasmed shut and I cannot see.
I may not speak, but I can hear you!
In the last few years, there has been an increase in the public attention to developmental disorders, particularly autism.
You probably picture a young boy who sits silent and stony, rocking rhythmically, ignoring all stimuli.
This is true for a minority of people, but most do have some level of interaction.
Autism is defined as a childhood condition characterized by:
difficulty with social interaction both verbal and nonverbal
challenges in using language or absent language skills
repetitive play and obsession with a specific idea or ideas
With this complex of symptoms, it ranges in effects from barely noticeable, a condition called Asperger’s Syndrome, to profound, sometimes termed “classical autism”.
In Asperger Syndrome, the individual retains a functional level of social skills, though they may come across as ‘odd’ due to obsessions and fascinations with a limited range of topics.
Mild autism is one step down from Asperger Syndrome, and may cause some difficulty in communication, and obsession may be prominent along with repetitive behaviors.
Moderate autism can cause significant problems with interaction, and individuals may have limited vocabularies and display repetitive behaviors and fixation with specific ideas.
Severe autism may be characterized by stringently limited vocabularies and social skills, and some with this level of impairment may be completely nonverbal (do not speak at all).
It should be noted that autism does not effect intelligence; Einstein almost definitely had it; though some with autism do experience cognitive difficulties of unrelated causes.
Most people who have ADS’s (autism spectrum disorders) are not “savants” or extremely gifted.
They may, however, have impressive knowledge on a limited subject as it is of their endless fascination .
I have Asperger Syndrome, which I credit as the source of my artistic qualities. My obsessions have centered on science for most of my life; right now it is neurology and medicine. Thus I am writing this article.
Honnestly, I wouldn’t trade my current existence for one that is “normal.” To me, autism is a source of my personality and much of the joy in my life. Without the rapt curiosity, I don’t know what I’d do with my time.
As for the hullabaloo about vaccines, here are the facts: the additives do not cause neurological deficits, nor by extension, autism.
Cures? There are none. And I don’t think there should be. Treatment consists of speech therapy and a variety of techniques to facilitate social interaction.
Autism is not caused by bad parenting or a kid being bratty. It’s a different “way of being”, and one I am glad to experience.
In addition to autism, ADD/ADHD diagnosis have also become more commonplace recently.
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are learning and psychological “disorders” that result in disorganization, inattentiveness, impulsivity, and in the case of ADHD, hyperactivity.
ADHD makes my thoughts race, and causes me to become easily bored if I am not engrossed in the activity. This is especially a problem when it comes to math homework. At the same time, it helps me to move my writing along and come up with all kinds of plot twists.
As for the stereotype of a kid who can’t sit still for a minute: yes, some children, particularly boys, are physically hyperactive. Others, like myself, don’t move much at all. It’s our minds that are running at top speed.
I Can’t Quit Moving!
The TV screen flashes to show a boy who is screaming, flailing out wildly and hitting at objects and people. Swearwords fly from his mouth that would earn the show an R rating if it wasn’t for the censorship.
The narrator says he has a severe case of Tourette Syndrome. (TS)
Yes, he does have Gilles de La Tourette Disorder. But his symptoms are of a severity that is rarely seen even by neurologists.
The diagnosis is based upon three criteria: movements that one has very limited control over, and sounds that one has very little or no control over. They must start before age twenty one and last for over a year.
With this basic medical description, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that most people with TS experience sniffing, facial movements like blinking and grimacing, grunting, humming and barking.
Only five to ten percent of people with this movement disorder will ever display the symptom of involuntary cursing, called coprolalia.
Much less, will they ever be significantly impaired by their disorder. The greatest barrier to them is usually the public opinion. How many of you have seen media portrayals that sensationalize and mock this disease?
Particularly destructive are the outright mockeries such as the viral video “Tourettes Guy” that features a foul-mouthed drunk who claims to have this movement disorder.
In reality, for the five percent who do curse involuntarily, it is a terribly embarrassing feature of a disease they never asked to have.
Those who have particularly severe cases may not only swear, but hit themselves, fall due to uncontrollable jerking movements, and be mistreated by the public, the authorities, and even well-meaning medical professionals.
There is no cure for Tourette Syndrome, and most treatments are ineffective. Medications often fail to suppress symptoms, and when they do, it is often due to the fact that they put the patient to sleep.
But what use is it to be on something if you just sleep the day away? Other side effects include enormous weight gain, irritability, depression, tremor, and painful muscular spasms that can become permanent.
With these side effects, even the most severely affected may apt not to take these drugs.
I’ve certainly had my share of “adverse effects” which landed me in the hospital, facing involuntary commitment.
Aside from drugs, there are several behavioral therapy approaches that work to let the individual control their movements and vocalizations with their minds. These work just as well as medication, but at a certain level of severity, they too are rendered ineffective.
I experience extremely severe symptoms, which to make things worse, have not responded to treatments.
The most controversial treatment entails brain surgery. In this invasive procedure, a neurosurgeon implants wires in the patient’s brain and attaches them to a pacemaker placed in the individual’s abdomen. Some early results have been promising, but risks such as stroke and paralysis necessitate the utmost caution in research for this treatment.
Other movement disorders include Parkinson’s disease, which causes gradual decline in the ability to move, and tremor, and eventually paralysis of all muscles and severe dementia (confusion).
While it mostly effects the elderly population, some may have symptom onset as early as the late twenties.
Parkinson’s kills when the muscles used in breathing are paralyzed, and the individual suffocates unless they are put on a ventilated.
Treatment includes physical therapy for weakness and difficulty walking, a drug called L-dopa that replaces diminished brain chemicals that cause the disorder, and as an aggressive measure,
Deep Brain Stimulation, the same procedure described above. DBS is considered standard for Parkinson’s Disease, but in most other disorders, it is highly experimental.
DBS can minimize the physical symptoms, but inevitably, dementia and paralysis occur, causing severe impairment and death.
Essential Tremor is a disorder that causes uncontrollable shaking of the limbs and sometimes neck and body. It is not progressive, but some are disabled by its effects; making writing or feeding oneself impossible.
Medications, and sometimes DBS are used in treatment.
A particularly brutal movement disorder is called Dystonia.
Dystonia causes uncontrollable muscle spasms, much like a charley horse, in various parts of the body. They can cause flailing movements or locked joints and can be extremely painful for the person experiencing them.
If the eyes or face are effected, the individual may be rendered blind due to their eyes locking closed, or unable to eat or speak if their mouth won’t move properly.
Affected limbs can cause limps or even necessitate use of a wheelchair.
It is treated using physical therapy, stretching, drugs, including L-dopa and Tetrabenazine, and sometimes Deep Brain Stimulation.
Some types of medication can cause symptoms similar to that of dystonia. This is called a dystonic reaction, which can be stopped quickly using an antidote drug.
I know this is rather long, so I’ll post the second segment later.
Thankyou for reading!
Input is welcomed.
Cheers!
~Voxina
