Children's developmental impairments include mental disorders. Usually the cause is an organic lesion of the central nervous structures. The most characteristic model is organic dementia. It develops as a result of previous infectious diseases, traumatic injuries of the nervous apparatus, changes in hereditary and degenerative nature, metabolic disorders in brain structures.
Characterization of impaired development in children
In dementia, intellectual activity weakens. The phenomenon is usually irreversible. Memory suffers, emotional-volitional sphere. But it should not be identified with oligophrenia. Although it is associated with a similar origin, it occurs only in children aged 2-3 years or begins to progress markedly. At this time, some of the mental functions have already completed their formation, while the other continues its active formation.
Different mental functions are not the same in terms of the duration of their formation. From this it becomes clear the meaningage in this process. In other words, it is determined by the age at which the injury occurred. This is a differential diagnostic sign and represents the main difference between underdevelopment and impaired development.
Types of organic dementia
There are four types of organic dementia:
- In the first type, children have a low level of communication.
- The second type is characterized by a condition associated with gross neurodynamic disorders. Thought processes are slowed down, with a pronounced manifestation of poor switching. The child cannot strain his thoughts. There is no logical construction in the thinking of such children.
- The third type is characterized by a state that is associated with insufficient motivation for any activity. Such children are apathetic, they have a sharply reduced activity of thinking.
- In the case of the fourth type of damaged development, children have insufficient or no purposeful thinking at all. This type is associated with severe attention disorders. The child is constantly distracted by something.
Minimal brain dysfunction
Often there is such a pathology as MMD (minimal brain dysfunction). With it, the nervous system does not function enough. There are biological reasons for this. Mild behavioral disorders are observed, learning ability is reduced, but there are no pronounced intellectual deviations.
Usually the cause of this phenomenon is the action of harmful factors during the period of intrauterinedevelopment. This includes the mother's addiction to alcohol, the infections she had, birth trauma, and some other points. The action of these factors leads to the fact that cortical or subcortical parts of the brain are locally affected.
How does MMD work?
It must be said that such manifestations can be of a very different nature, which is determined by the localization of damage. Motility-related disorders come to the fore. The child has awkward movements, he constantly builds various grimaces. There is a manifestation of pronounced motor disinhibition. Sleep is disturbed, the child is excitable, his behavior becomes uncontrollable.
Over time, as the child's body develops, existing violations are gradually compensated. If you create favorable conditions for the educational process, as well as with well-conducted therapeutic correction, all manifestations have a minimum degree of severity. Sometimes this is revealed only during an in-depth special examination.
Such conditions directly depend on the amount of damage. Therefore, they can be local and diffuse. The general condition of the child is determined by the amount of damage.
Local damage
The cause of local damage, first of all, are neoplasms. But not only they can cause local damage. Both a cyst and a hemorrhage can be damaging factors of development. If adequate therapeutic measures are taken, then the prognosis is favorable. The specificity lies in the age of the damage, and what compensatory capabilities the body of a particular child has.
For a damaged mental development, a mosaic pattern is characteristic. The emotional-personal plan is characterized by the widest range of manifestations. There may be a conditionally normative development and pronounced brutal forms. Teenagers take it hard. The imprint is left by the existing mental trauma. Teenagers simply do not want to believe that they will ever get better, so they are cool about their he alth.
Psychotherapeutic work
Correctional measures of a psychologist should be started only after the acute condition has been removed. Before they are coordinated with a neurologist. Psychotherapeutic work is carried out not only with the child himself, but also with his parents, and in general with the family. It is conducted with the participation of a defectologist and a speech therapist. A negative situation (inadequacy of treatment, late correctional work) causes an unfavorable prognosis.
Great help is provided by a teacher-defectologist who helps the child in learning. Initially, individual classes are held, and only after the doctor gives the go-ahead, the child proceeds to standard education. Of course, even under such conditions, he needs a protective regime. In case of significant damage, in addition to the usual teacher, the help of a correctional specialist is required.
Diffuse damage
Themoccurrence is due to a variety of reasons. They can be progressive hydrocephalus, meningococcal infection, severe traumatic brain damage. At the forefront is a change in the psyche of varying degrees of severity. Mental activity is uneven, with pronounced fluctuations. The performance of the child is markedly reduced. Naturally, criticism, adequacy and learning are reduced.
Children have a clear emotional inertia, and on the other hand, pronounced lability. There may be disharmony of personality traits. For correction, competent measures of a therapeutic and regime-restorative nature are required. A decisive role is played by work on psychological corrective measures. The psychologist with his coordinating function comes to the fore here. Parents need to work closely with the teacher.
Of course, with diffuse lesions, the prognosis is less favorable than in the case of local lesions. The outcome is determined by various factors and is determined by the extent to which the child's body has developed compensatory capabilities.
Psychic trauma
It belongs to a special type of damage. Despite the fact that it is absent in psychological typology, it is precisely on it that the work of psychologists is directed. It is exclusively for psychologists. Children require special educational facilities.
Such injuries are usually accompanied by deviations of mental development. It can be carried out in conditions of acute injuries and take place with their chronicimpact.
Psychic trauma can be conditionally divided into two types:
- The first one is the physical type. This is all that is connected with the impact on the human body, figuratively speaking, with its physical world.
- The second is the narcissistic type. This type is associated with social relations. This is a relationship towards other people, subjectivity.
Such injuries are also divided by temporary nature. Usually they are associated with some episodes associated with social and physical violence. The reason may be a natural disaster or a sudden change in lifestyle.
The main point in this direction is the active identification of those children who have an organic lesion of brain structures. Such children are subject to comprehensive supervision. In addition to pediatricians, such children are monitored by a neurologist, psychologist, and speech therapist. Various pedagogical programs are used, the nature of which is determined by the state of the child's intellect. Great importance is attached to the development of imagery of thinking and visual material. Gradually, the child trains the opportunity, in which there is a switch from one activity to another.
Small conclusion
Under the damaged development is understood the situation in which the child's psyche develops against the background of organic lesions of the central structures of the brain. The condition is due to a large number of reasons, it is not easy, it requires significant efforts and patience in carrying out adequate corrective measures.
