A Medical Companion to the Developmental Disabilities
This book describes 55 medical conditions that cause developmental disabilities. It also describes 12 disorders – epilepsy plus 11 psychiatric illnesses – that commonly afflict disabled individuals, as well as the medications used to treat them. The material should be accessible to care providers with little or no medical background yet detailed enough for physicians and nurses to use as a quick refresher. Its intended audience includes:
- teachers, students and support staff in special education
- clinicians, assistants, and students of physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- psychologists and social work counselors
- workers in Special Olympics and at camps for people with disabilities
- nurses, day habilitation and residential staff, work supervisors, job coaches, and support personnel at agencies that provide comprehensive care to individuals with disabilities, such as The Arc, Easter Seals, and United Cerebral Palsy
This book should prove useful – and hopefully interesting – to anyone involved in the care of people with disabilities. It will help providers better understand the medical issues affecting their clients, enhance communication with their clients’ physicians, and, perhaps, even expand the care they can provide.
