Care for person with special needs

1. Introduction and foundations

a. Introduction to communication
Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages through
verbal or nonverbal means, including speech, or oral communication; writing and
graphical representations (such as infographics, maps, and charts);
and signs, signals, and behavior. More simply, communication is said to be "the
creation and exchange of meaning." 
b. Communication Disorder
i. Communication Disorder is an impairment in the ability to receive,
send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and
graphic symbol systems.
ii.
c. Behaviour modification
i. How it works? It conditions children to expect positive reactions or
reinforcement to appropriate behaviour and to expect to be disciplined for
inappropriate behaviour
ii. Types of reinforcement
1. Consumable
2. Social
3. Activity
4. Possessional
iii. Reinforcement techniques
1. Positive/ negative reinforcement
a. Use of rewards
b. Make sure that the children knows what is expected of him
before he can get a reward
c. Should follow immediately after a good behaviour.
d. Should be specific and initially continuous, slowly moving
to an intermittent schedule
e. Increases the frequency of desired behaviour

2. Chaining
a. Series of steps are needed to be learned
b. A task is divided into smaller and manageable steps
c. Each step should be simple
d. Mastery of current step should be attained first before
moving onto the next.
e. Guidance and support should always be present until the
child can already master the task.
3. Backward chaining
4. Modelling
5. Time –out
6. Ignoring
7. Flooding
a. Exposure (treatment for phobia)
 8. Contract setting
9. Satiation principle – allow the child to continue the undesirable
behaviour until the child gets tired.
Defence mechanism

- Compensation – strengthen one to hide another

- Denial - refuse to face the negative behavior
- Displacement – take it out on someone else.
- Identification - attached to something positive
- Introjection – conform feelings for approval
- Projection – see your faults and foible in others
- Rationalization – excuse and justify mistakes
- Reaction formation – pretend you are different
- Regression – act much younger to feel better
- Repression – suppressed painful memories and thoughts
- Ritual & undoing – override negative with habit
- Sublimation – divert negative into acceptable

2. Behavioural Disorder
a. Antisocial disorders (sociopathy)
i. ASD is a mental disorder in which a person consistently shows no regard
for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People
with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat
others harshly or with callous indifference. They show no guilt or remorse
for their behavior.
ii. Symptoms
a. Disregard for right and wrong
b. Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others
c. Being callous, cynical and disrespectful of others
d. Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain
or personal pleasure
e. Arrogance, a sense of superiority and being extremely
opinionated
f. Recurring problems with the law, including criminal
behavior
g. Repeatedly violating the rights of others through
intimidation and dishonesty
h. Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead
i. Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, aggression or
violence
j. Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about
harming others
k. Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behavior with no
regard for the safety of self or others
l. Poor or abusive relationships
m. Failure to consider the negative consequences of behavior
or learn from them
 n. Being consistently irresponsible and repeatedly failing to
fulfill work or financial obligations

b. Anxiety of special patients (types of phobias)

The main symptom of anxiety disorders is excessive fear or worry. Anxiety disorders
can also make it hard to breathe, sleep, stay still, and concentrate.  Your specific
symptoms depend on the type of anxiety disorder you have. 
Common symptoms are: 

 Panic, fear, and uneasiness

 Feelings of panic, doom, or danger
 Sleep problems
 Not being able to stay calm and still
 Cold, sweaty, numb, or tingling hands or feet
 Shortness of breath
 Breathing faster and more quickly than normal (hyperventilation)
 Heart palpitations
 Dry mouth
 Nausea
 Tense muscles
 Dizziness
 Thinking about a problem over and over again and unable to stop (rumination)
 Inability to concentrate
 Intensely or obsessively avoiding feared objects or places

c. Dependent personality disorder – excess need to be take care of

d. Depression – persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
e. Histrionic personality - self-esteem depends on the approval of others. People
with this disorder have an overwhelming desire to be noticed, and often behave
dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.
f. Narcissistic personality disorder – excessive need of attention/ disregard the
feeling of others
g. Hypochondria – unrealistic fear that they have serious medical illness
h. Schizophrenia – interpret reality abnormally
i. Obsessive compulsive disorder -  disorder in which people have recurring,
unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven
to do something repetitively (compulsions).
j. Bipolar – extreme mood swing
3. Pervasive development disorder
a. ADHD – attention problem and excessive activity
b. Autism - broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills,
repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. 
c. Cerebral Palsy
d. Giftedness
e. Mental Retardation
4. Chromosomal Anomalies leading to disabilities
a. Andrenoleukodystrophy – breakdown or loss of myelin sheath
b. Cri du chat – cat like (5p minus ) syndrome
 c. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome -
d. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that causes a
range of developmental problems including learning disabilities and cognitive
impairment.

e. Marfan syndrome - Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects

connective tissue — the fibers that support and anchor your organs and
other structures in your body. Marfan syndrome most commonly affects
the heart, eyes, blood vessels and skeleton. People with Marfan syndrome
are usually tall and thin with unusually long arms, legs, fingers and toes. 
f. Trisomy 21 (down syndrome)

5. Medical Anomalies leading to disabilities

a. Epilepsy
b. Hemophilia
c. Leukemia
d. Tourette syndrome
e. Malnutrition
6. Congenital disorders
a. Cleft lip/palate
b. Dwarfism
c. Gigantism
d. Progeria
e. Microchephaly/macrocephaly
f. Congenital heart disorder