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Sensory Impaired Child. Associated Conditions.

Veronika Bernstein, Ph.D.

VeronikaBernstein1@gmail.com

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Sensory Impaired Child Comorbidity Clusters (Overlap of Conditions)

Intellectual and Language Impairment: 75%

Epileptic Seizures: 77.5%

Diagnosed Gastrointestinal Disorders: 26%

Eating irregularities: 87%

Infections and related Auditory Disorders: 89%

Diagnosed Psychiatric Disorders: 33%

Sleep Disorders: 87%

High correlation between epileptic seizures and gastrointestinal disorders: P<.001

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Teachers and Medical Doctors

  • Associated conditions may be treatable
  • Treated condition result in
    • better behavior
    • better learning
  • Teachers may assist in recognition and diagnosis of medical conditions
  • Medical Doctors are not trained to work with children with Sensory Impaired Child and sensory impairments
  • Teachers know how to observe and report symptoms

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Seizure Disorders

  • Focal Seizures are especially underdiagnosed:
    • Staring
    • Lack of responsiveness
    • Some repetitive motor behaviors
  • Know what to do in case of seizure
  • Antiepileptic Drugs and Side effects:

http://www.rxlist.com/seizure_medications-page2/drugs-condition.htm

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Psychiatric Disorders

  • #1. Anxiety Spectrum Disorders
  • Anxiety Spectrum in general population: 15%
  • Having a diagnosis of Sensory Impaired Child does not make one immune from other psychiatric conditions
  • Mood disorders (bipolar, depression)
  • Commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications:

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Anxiety Spectrum Disorders�U.S. Population

  • Specific Phobias 49%
  • Social Anxiety=Social Phobia 13%
  • Panic Disorder 3%
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder 5%
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 2.5%
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 8%-20%
  • Substance Induced Anxiety
  • Anxiety related to Medical Condition
  • Acute Stress Disorder

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Developmental Sequence of Anxiety Disorders

  • Fear of strangers
    • 10-16 months
  • Fear of death, separation anxiety, school phobias
    • 5-7 years old
  • Entire Spectrum of Anxiety Disorders
    • Pre-puberty
    • Puberty
  • Entire Spectrum of Anxiety Disorders
    • Pre- and menopausal women
    • 40s, 50s, 60s men
  • Typical ‘old people’ = anxious people

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If You Have Amygdala You Have Anxiety

  • Humans (fetus, newborn, child, teen, adult)
  • Cats and Dogs
  • Fish (I have a fish story to tell)
  • Bees may have feelings but not anxiety
    • http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2011/08/do-bees-have-feelings.html

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In Your Classroom

  • Be ready to have a number of children with high levels of anxiety in your classroom
  • Plan for behavioral interventions to reduce anxiety in your students
  • Be prepared to offer assistance in diagnosis
  • Be prepared to offer assistance in monitoring effectiveness of medical treatment

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Strategies for OCD

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  • Ignore and Redirect according to your plan
  • Teach internal control
  • Teach rules
  • Review rules and remind about the rules
  • Give special time and place for rituals
  • Keep busy
  • Medication is effective in reducing OCD

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Prevalence:
    • 1% current cases of general population
    • 3% lifetime of general population
  • Age: childhood onset, mean age of 12 years
  • Gender:
    • males have an earlier onset
    • boys predominate 3:2

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USEFUL LINKS

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Cognitive Behavior Therapy Adapted to your Student

  • Plan CBT with other team members
    • Define behaviors
    • Set data collection
    • Plan exposure
    • Plan redirection (language, gestures, pictures)
    • Plan relaxation
  • Implement, fine tune, implement

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Questions?

Write to me at:

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VeronikaBernstein1@gmail.com

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Video Clips

Complex Partial Seizures:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKItDS30nvc

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Complex Partial Seizure with motor automatism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejjmYsAYdfM

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Infections PANDAS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8pcZQ0_g8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8pcZQ0_g8

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GI distress:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ONxL73koc

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I said NO

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_FBqY9VLsI&feature=related

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Video Clips

Separation Anxiety