Health Disorders

FACS Standard 4.3.4Herr, Judy. Working with Young Children. The Goodheart-Wilcox Co., Inc. 2008.

Health Disorders

Chronic health need – an illness the persists over a period of time – a lifetime or several months

Will have cycles of good health and cycles of bad health

Allergies

Up to 50% of people have mild or severe allergies

May begin at any age Only a small percentage of children’s allergies

have been diagnosed Are reactions of the body to a substance in

the environment

Offending substance is called an allergen Exposure to the allergen can cause: rashes,

swelling, sneezing, and other reactions Ask parents at enrollment if their child has any

known allergies

4 categories of allergens: Inhalants – airborne substances that are

inhaled Animal dandruff, dust, feathers, fungi spores,

molds, and plant pollens Need to remove classroom pets Ingestants –foods, drugs, or anything taken

through the mouth Contactants – things that make contact with the

body, through touch Injectables – chemicals or drugs injected into the

body

Ingestants –foods, drugs, or anything taken through the mouth Common foods include: Beans, berries, chocolate,

cinnamon, citrus fruits, corn products, cols drinks, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, tomatoes, buts, and wheat

Other possible causes: Fabric dyes, fragrances and colorings added to soap and detergents

Common drugs include: aspirin, penicillin, and sulfa drugs

Contactants – things that make contact with the body, through touch Common substances include: cosmetics, some

detergents, wool, and starch Common reactions: red rash and itching

Injectables – chemicals or drugs injected into the body Common substances: penicillin, venom from bees

or wasps Some insect bites can be FATAL Redness and swelling around the wound indicates

a mild allergy

Swelling of the entire body and trouble breathing indicates a severe allergy – SEEK MEDICAL HELP ASAP; could be FATAL

Some allergies are seasonal

Arthritis Inflammation causing painful swelling of the

joints and surrounding tissues Most common form of juvenile arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis Causes fatigue, loss of appetite Aching joints Stiffness of joints

Children with arthritis find it hard to stay in one position very long without pain

More painful in the morning than in the afternoon

Regular, but moderate exercise When disease most active, children will need

more rest

After age 10, 60-70% of affected children affected are from juvenile arthritis

Asthma Chronic disorder of the airways Symptoms: coughing, wheezing, rapid or

labored breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness

When symptoms appear they may last a few minutes, hours, or even weeks

Some children may outgrow asthma as they grow; others never do

Asthma attack occurs when airways are inflamed OR swollen and irritated

Most commonly caused when exposed to an allergen; may also occur when exposed to hot or cold; overexertion or excessive exercise

Treated with medications – fast acting inhaler or nebulizer machine

If the medication does not relieve the symptoms, this is a medical EMERGENCY – CALL 911

Depending on the severity of the disease, children may need medication daily

Be sure to ask about asthma when enrolling the student and ask parents procedures they want facility to follow

Cystic Fibrosis

Hereditary disease occurring almost from birth involving persistent and serious lung infections, failure to gain weight, and loose, foul-smelling stools

Some symptoms caused by a thick mucus produced by the sweat glands that interferes with the digestive and respiratory systems

Children with this disease rarely enroll in child care programs because of the risk of lung infections and their need for close supervision of a doctor

If children with this disease are enrolled, they need lots of liquids and frequent rest

Diabetes

Juvenile diabetes – hereditary disease Symptoms: frequent urination, loss of weight,

constant hunger, itching (especially around groin), slowing healing cuts and bruises; some children may show NO signs

Careful diet extremely important – balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals necessary

In most cases, children will need insulin injections – prescribed by doctor and given by parents

Balance physical activity, insulin, and diet Parents and doctor – devise a plan In an insulin reaction, body needs sugar ASAP

to keep from slipping into shock or a coma

Keep fast sources of sugar – orange juice, candy – with you at all times

If the child passes out because of insulin reaction, call 911 – this is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Epilepsy

Convulsive disorder caused by damage to the brain Chemical rhythms of the central nervous system

disturbed Affects about 1% of the population NOT A DISEASE

Can cause varying degrees of reactions or seizures Petit mal

May go unnoticed Signs: fluttering eyelids, frozen posture, staring,

temporary stop of activity May last 5 – 10 seconds Most do not require medical attention

Grand mal Child will lose consciousness; will be confused

when they awaken; seizure will not be remembered; children will get up and resume activity

May jerk, thrash, or become stiff May be injured by hitting things or biting the

tongue

Treated primarily with drugs – either prevent or reduce frequency of seizures

Medications often cause serious side effects – restlessness and lethargic behavior

To help a child, as the teacher you should: Leave the child on the floor Clear the area of anything that would injure the

child Remain calm Cradle the child’s head in your lap; avoid any

restraining movements with child laying on their side

If the convulsion does not sop within 2 minutes, call for emergency medical help

When child regain consciousness, have child remain lying down, placing a blanket over them and allowing them to sleep

Call the child’ doctor and family to tell them about the seizure and ask for advise

Hemophilia

Genetic blood disorder in which the blood cannot clot normally

Extreme internal bleeding and bruising can result from a simple bump and cause joint pain and extreme pains that require a hospital stay

Real threat – DEATH caused by internal bleeding of vital organs or by blood flowing into air passages

Decide with the parents which toys the child play on and tag both indoor and out door equipment

Be sure to know what to do if the child is injured

Carefully watch the child at play to prevent accidents

Leukemia

Form of cancer affecting the blood-forming organs of the body and the blood

The sharp rise in white blood cells in the bloodstream destroys the bone marrow and the number of healthy white blood cells decreases

Signs and symptoms: bleeding, fever, infection, weight loss

Can be fatal Children usually treated with chemotherapy These children are encouraged to participate

in class – quality of life – focus of caregivers

Cognitive Disabilities

Intellectual functioning significantly below the development milestones for children that age

Difficult to site cause – can be caused by genetics or chromosomal disorder, or prenatal or postnatal injuries, or environmental conditions

Mental retardation form of cognitive disability Intellectual functioning significantly lower than

average Has varying degrees of severity and as many

potential causes Down’s syndrome – most common

Down’s Syndrome

Chromosome disorder Most identifiable form of mental retardation Have distinct physical features – small round

head with flattened mid-face, slightly pugged nose, large tongue; slightly slanted eyes, small ears, and short fingers; and other physical problems

Learning Disabilities

Having a problem with one or more basic skills of learning

Common traits: trouble following directions, poor memory skills, can’t remember a story just read to them, trouble storing, processing, and producing information, trouble identifying or reproducing numbers and letters, poor eye-hand coordination

Traits may appear in various patterns

Attention Deficit Disorder

5-10% of children have trouble focusing and staying on task and are easily distracted

Overactive, restless, impulsive – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – can become hostile and fail to follow classroom limits

ADHD affects more boys than girls; for every girl, there are 5 boys affected

Cause is unknown Can be treated with drugs that have a calming

effect and may receive behavior therapy

Social or Emotional Impairment

Behavioral disorder – condition that affects and individual’s social and emotional functions

Challenges include: attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, or conduct disorder

Most common condition - autism

Autism

Unable to interact with others socially Language development atypical Display ritualistic and compulsive behaviors,

although different from child to child First noticeable at 2 ½ years of age More boys than girls May also have mental retardation

One of first signs is resistance to being hugged or cuddles as an infant

When held, will not mold to holder’s body; fail to make eye contact or use nonverbal communication

Self-stimulating behaviors – rocking, head flapping

Treat others like lifeless objects

Simple changes in routine can cause violent temper tantrum

Working with these children is challenging Consistency is needed in classroom routines

and environment Use simple and direct speech

Classroom focus – promote language, appropriate behavior, interacting with others

Must form partnership with family and other professionals working with the child

Integrating Children with Special Needs

The number of special needs children that can be accommodated by a child care program depends on the teacher’s training and experience, the ratio of adults to children, and the specific needs of the children

Regardless of child’s needs, they should be grouped with children based on developmental level, not age

To work with these children, seek help from specialist

Provide constant feedback to parents about behavior and progress

Prepare children when a special needs child will be joining the group

Gifted Children

Needs are often neglected in traditional education

Spend time doing things they already know Giftedness defined in many ways Traditionally based on intelligence scores

Best defined as one who possesses exceptional skills in one or more of six following areas: Creative or productive thinking General intellectual ability Leadership ability Psychomotor ability Specific academic aptitude Visual or performing arts

3-5% of children could be gifted They need to be identified to receive best

education for them

Identification

Difficult to identify a gifted child No single test, checklist or observation point

will tell Characteristics of a gifted child:

Constant curiosity about many subjects Social and emotional behavior equals or exceeds

that of children the same age Independent and motivated

Teaching Suggestions

Gifted child needs acceleration and enrichment in the program

Acceleration – process in which a gifted child is assigned to a class with older children; goal is to move child at a faster pace than regular children; may need to move up another level

Enrichment – range and depth of experiences is broadened to provide the child with a special curriculum

Will help child identify areas of interest Key to education – build experiences and

education around the child’s interests Open ended learning activities – loosely

structured assignments to allow them chance to express creativity

Children gifted in reading should have instruction to match their skills; provided a variety of books to match their interests; and have an adult who will listen to them read and tell about the story

Small group projects can be planned for a leadership role in which the gifted child can be the leader – plan, organize, make decisions

Troubles these children face include: Being self-critical – too hard on themselves Will not be involved with other children – help

them learn to be considerate of others and help them improve their social skills