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