Each disability section may include:

• definition
• diagnosis/characteristics
• characteristics
• strategies

Diagnosis

The purpose of a diagnosis is to help determine the most appropriate intervention for a child, to identify any possible related medical issues that need to be followed up on, and to help families plan for their needs. Researchers have linked some disabilities with neurological deficits and heredity, but exact causes are often not known. Even when a specific diagnosis cannot be made, however, assessment of the child's functioning is useful in determining what intervention would be helpful. A diagnosis or assessment of functioning is based on a thorough evaluation carried out by a team of professionals using objective methods.

Difficulty in diagnosing a disorder

Diagnosing a particular disorder, particularly in a young child, can be difficult. Many doctors and professionals have limited training on the wide range of disabilities that they are now required to recognize, and the definition of what is included in a particular disorder continually changes (Autism Diagnosis Training Issues). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the official guide for diagnosis, is updated regularly. The popular definition of the characteristics of a disorder may change even faster. For example, autism in the DSM manual in effect at the time the Disabilities section of this web site was written was defined as part of a subgroup termed PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorders). Many professionals now speak of it as part of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). To complicate the issue, the group of autism related characteristics and subgroups under ASD do not exactly mirror those under PDD, so diagnosis changes are not merely in name. As another example, diagnosis of alcohol related neurological disorders may be termed Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Alcohol-Related Neurological Disorders (ARND), or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD).

The traits used for diagnosis are often overlapping between disorders, resulting in a child being diagnosed with multiple disorders or having changing diagnosis over the years. In a recent study of the prevalence of autism in Atlanta, Georgia, 62% of the children identified by the study as having autism had a previous diagnosis of autism, 19% were suspected of having autism, and 18% had a diagnosis other than autism or no diagnosis. In addition, different states legally recognize different disorders. A child is more likely to be diagnosed with FAS in Alaska, where such a disorder is legally defined for obtaining services, than in North Carolina, where it is not.

How can you get the right help with an unclear diagnosis?
To the individual with learning difficulties, the difference between being told he or she has an ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or FASD is not as important is being provided the right coping tools. For this reason, we recommend that you try a variety of treatment resources to determine what is most effective with each child. Many of the resources we suggest trying are available from this web site, although in some cases links to outside material may be included. A list of all resources we provide is available from the Site Map