Childhood disintegrative disorder
Childhood disintegrative disorder Causes
Exact causes of CDD are yet to be known, as well as other factors that can be linked to the said disease. Some conditions have been associated to CDD, such as: lipid storage illnesses which cause toxic buildup of lipids in the nervous system subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: inflammation of the brain and eventual death of nerve cells. Tuberous sclerosis: a genetic disorder that produces tumors which grow in the different vital organs of the body.
Childhood disintegrative disorder Definition
Childhood disintegrative disorder or CDD is a condition that consists of a child's delayed development in social function, motor skills and language. It is also known as disintegrative psychosis or Heller's syndrome. It is similar to autism, but normal development is first seen before a sudden regression occurs. It is not easy to detect CDD on children during its early stages; the disorder would only be obvious when the child starts to lose his language skills. Some children seem to react to seizures and hallucinations, much to the surprise of their parents. This is often described as a devastating condition, since it affects the family's future. Child disintegrative disorder was first described by Thomas Heller in 1908.
Childhood disintegrative disorder Symptoms and Signs
Children diagnosed with CCD exhibit normal growth and development during his first two years, thus he obtains "normal development of age-appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication, social relationships, motor, play and self-care skills" like other normal children. However, as he grows older, the skills he acquired cease to exist especially in the following areas: language and receptive language skills social and self-care skills renal and bladder control motor and play skills They also lose normal function in the following: communication social interaction repetitive behavior and interest
Childhood disintegrative disorder Treatment
There is specific cure for CDD, and the loss of language abilities and other social skills are somewhat serious. Eventually affected children would carry these disabilities permanently and would need constant care. Behavior therapy- this therapy enables the child to learn the skills he lost once more by using a system of rewards to reestablish desirable behaviors and remove the problematic ones. The programs under behavior therapy are conducted by a team of speech therapists, physical therapists and psychologists. Parents, caregivers and teachers are required to give support as well. Medications- antipsychotic medication are given to treat problematic behavior such as aggressive stance. Anticonvulsants meanwhile control seizures.