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Types of Disability in Children

Children with special needs or disabilities require additional assistance to perform every day tasks and care. Sometime parents and other caregivers can assist a child to overcome or compensate for the limitations of a disability, such as with a learning disability, but sometimes the disability greatly affects the child's ability to become independent. Early diagnosis, intervention and therapy are vital to helping a child deal with his disability and improve his quality of life.

  1. Learning Disabilities

    • Learning disability is a generic term used for children who have difficulties learning and performing various skill-related activities. These difficulties can present themselves in various areas, such as reading, communicating and performing math. A child with a learning disability is not less intelligent than a child without a learning disability is; his brain simply works differently to process information. A learning disability cannot be "cured," but the child can learn different coping mechanisms to overcome the difficulties his disability causes.

    Mental Disabilities

    • Mental disabilities, also known as intellectual disabilities, refer to children with limitations in mental functioning. In the past, another term for this was mental retardation -- currently an outdated term due to possible negative connotations. These disabilities can include conditions such as Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome, which prevent a child from developing or learning at the same rate as his peers. These children need additional time and help learning to speak and walk, and to dress or feed themselves.

    Neurological Disabilities

    • The most well known types of neurological disorders are on the autism spectrum, which affect a child's ability to properly communicate, relate to and interact with others. Neurological disabilities also include sensory-input problems, in which children develop sensitivities to sights, sounds and touch. Intensive therapy can help minimize these reactions, and teach the child how to cope with difficult situations and properly interact with others.

    Physical Disabilities

    • Physical disabilities occur in a wide range of severity, and can affect the child's extremities or ability to perform certain specified motor skills. Children may require assistance to walk, or to perform self-care actions such as dressing or feeding themselves. In cases such as malformed limbs, surgery can correct the disability, making everyday actions easier for the child.

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