Allergies and Arthritis

Physical Disabilities/Needs

• Allergies involve a hypersensitive immune reaction to typically harmless substances called allergens
• Seasonal allergies (Hay Fever) are caused by pollen from trees, grass, and weeds
• Food allergies are reactions to certain foods like peanuts, shellfish, and dairy
• Drug allergies are reactions to medications like penicillin
• Skin allergies are reactions to contact allergens like latex or nickel
• Chronic arthritis is a group of conditions causing joint inflammation and degeneration, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling
• Osteoarthritis is the most common form, resulting from cartilage breakdown between joints
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the joints
• Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis affecting some psoriasis sufferers
• Juvenile arthritis (JA) is arthritis in children under 16, causing joint inflammation and stiffness
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most common form and is an autoimmune disorder with no known cause
• Systemic JIA involves not only joints but also internal organs
• Oligoarticular JIA affects fewer than five joints
• Polyarticular JIA affects five or more joints
• Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition with inflamed and narrowed airways, leading to breathing difficulty
• Allergic asthma is triggered by allergens such as pollen, dust mites, or pet dander
• Non-allergic asthma is triggered by factors like exercise, cold air, or stress
• Exercise-induced asthma is triggered by physical activity
• Occupational asthma is caused by workplace irritants like chemicals, and dust
• Epilepsy is a neurological disorder marked by recurrent, unprovoked seizures from abnormal brain electrical activity
• Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting how the body turns food into energy, involving insulin production or use problems
• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
• Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough
• Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy
• Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, often accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues
• Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of genetic diseases causing progressive muscle weakness and loss
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common type in children
• Becker Muscular Dystrophy is similar to DMD but milder and slower in progression
• Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy tissues, affecting joints, skin, kidneys, and the brain
• Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) is a skin condition with inflamed, itchy, red, cracked, and rough patches, often allergy-related

Developmental Needs

• Physical development needs encompass body growth, motor skills, and health, including strength, coordination, and flexibility
• Cognitive development needs involve mental processes for learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving, like memory, reasoning, and intellectual growth
• Emotional/Psychological development needs refer to understanding/managing emotions, developing self-awareness, and coping with stress, crucial for self-esteem and resilience

Developmental Disease

• Social development needs involve interacting with others, forming relationships, and understanding social norms, helping communicate, cooperate, and function in groups
• Language and communication development needs focus on understanding/using language verbally and non-verbally, through vocabulary, grammar, and communication strategies
• Intellectual disability (ID) involves limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors, affecting conceptual, social, and practical skills, beginning before age 18
• Mild intellectual disability involves an IQ of 50-70 allowing the development of skills up to a 6th-grade level; independence is possible with support
• Moderate intellectual disability involves an IQ of 35-49 requiring support with daily living activities.
• Severe intellectual disability involves an IQ of 20-34 requiring supervision and involving limited communication skills.
• Profound intellectual disability involves an IQ below 20 requiring caregiver dependence as well as involving significant physical and cognitive impairments
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors: severity varies widely
• Spastic Cerebral Palsy is characterized by stiff muscles/awkward movements and is the most common form
• Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (Athetoid) causes involuntary movements in the face, arms, and legs
• Ataxic Cerebral Palsy affects balance/coordination, causing shaky or clumsy movements
• Mixed Cerebral Palsy combines symptoms from different types, such as spastic and dyskinetic
• Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21) leading to developmental and intellectual delays
• Trisomy 21 is the most common form involving an extra chromosome in every cell
• Translocation Down Syndrome occurs when part of chromosome 21 attaches to another chromosome
• Mosaic Down Syndrome occurs when some cells have the extra chromosome, others do not, with symptoms being milder
• Learning disabilities (LD) are neurological conditions affecting information processing which makes learning skills like reading, writing, or math difficult
• Dyslexia affects reading and language processing
• Dysgraphia impacts writing abilities, including handwriting and coherence
• Dyscalculia affects math skills, including number sense and calculations
• Auditory Processing Disorder causes difficulty processing auditory information, thus it leads to problems understanding spoken language, especially in noisy environments
• Language and communication disorders affect the ability to understand, process, or use spoken or written language
• Expressive Language Disorder causes difficulty expressing thoughts/ideas through speech or writing
• Receptive Language Disorder is the difficulty understanding spoken or written language
• A Speech Sound Disorder causes difficulty producing speech sounds correctly
• Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder involves challenges using language in social contexts (e.g. difficulty following conversation rules)
• Sensory impairments involve limitations in the ability to sense and process visual, auditory, or other sensory information
• Visual impairment includes partial or total blindness, which may affect visual perception and development
• Hearing Impairment includes partial or complete hearing loss, impacting communication and language development
• Auditory Processing Disorder is the difficulty processing auditory information, leading to problems understanding speech, especially in noisy environments
• Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) causes difficulty processing sensory input from the environment, which can result in over- or under-sensitivity to stimuli (e.g., sound, touch, light)
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, affecting daily functioning
• Predominantly Inattentive Type ADHD causes difficulty paying attention to details and being easily distracted
• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type ADHD involves high levels of hyperactivity and impulsivity
• Combined Type ADHD presents symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity