| With the number of Americans with developmental | | | | syndromes secondary to anomalies of the brain arising |
| disabilities surpassing 4.5 million in 2010, it is more | | | | in the early stages of development (iii). A majority of |
| important than ever to understand, engage, and help | | | | cases are termed Congenital, caused by inadequacies |
| assimilate the disabled into the workforce. Program | | | | of blood or oxygen supply to the unborn child, illness |
| Development Associates understands this need and | | | | during pregnancy, or premature birth. The remaining |
| provides training resources to help social service | | | | minority of cases are termed Acquired, caused by |
| agents, Human Resources departments, and other | | | | head trauma, infections, or severe malnutrition shortly |
| professionals communicate, train, and motivate those | | | | after the birth of the child. Whether Congenital or |
| with developmental disabilities. | | | | Acquired, individuals with Cerebral Palsy have the |
| Developmental disabilities are an eclectic group of mild | | | | potential to be valuable assets to any company. |
| to chronic conditions characterized by severe mental | | | | Communication technology and mobility devices help |
| or physical impairment. Individuals with such disabilities | | | | these individuals to speak and move freely, however, |
| can have difficulty developing the skills to learn, | | | | the office environment and culture must also be built to |
| communicate, move, and live independently. By | | | | foster physical accessibility and understanding of |
| definition, this spectrum of disorders manifests itself by | | | | individuals with Cerebral Palsy. |
| the time the individual reaches twenty two years of | | | | Down Syndrome |
| age. The four most common forms include Mental | | | | Caused by a chromosomal defect, Down syndrome is |
| retardation, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and Down | | | | seen in an estimated 1 in 700 people. These individuals |
| syndrome. | | | | exhibit physical characteristics unique to the syndrome, |
| Mental Retardation | | | | including low muscle tone and small stature, as well as |
| Mental retardation is by far the most common of | | | | a varying degree of intellectual impairment (iv). Life |
| developmental disabilities. Typically manifesting itself | | | | expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has |
| before the individual reaches the age of 18, this | | | | more than tripled to sixty years since the early 1980s |
| condition is defined by the American Association of | | | | as researchers have made profound discoveries in the |
| Mental Retardation as a significant limitation in both | | | | field of genetics and chromosomal development. In |
| intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior (i). | | | | addition, cognitive delays are typically mild or moderate, |
| Redefinition of the condition in 2002 paints a positive | | | | making communication with an individual with Down |
| picture, placing heavy emphasis on the ability for the | | | | syndrome easy relative to other chronic mental |
| individual to become more functional and adaptive | | | | conditions. Several disability education resources are |
| when provided with carefully constructed individual | | | | available to help professionals facilitate communication |
| supports. With today's advanced multimedia disability | | | | with these individuals, both in the workplace and in the |
| training resources, individuals can learn to provide these | | | | home. |
| support systems and help mentally impaired individuals | | | | While developmental disabilities can vary in terms of |
| develop their intellectual capabilities. | | | | severity, disabled individuals can nonetheless lead |
| Autism | | | | healthy, productive, and meaningful adult lives. The |
| Few disabilities are as complex and elusive as Autism. | | | | extent to which this can be realized hinges largely |
| The variance in ability, from functional to severely | | | | upon the unimpaired and our ability to promote disability |
| debilitating, suggests miscellany in the causal factors | | | | awareness in the workplace. As disability training |
| depending on the individuals unique genetic makeup (ii). | | | | resources are utilized by professionals, more disabled |
| However, it has recently been proposed that the | | | | Americans can transition into the office to make |
| condition is deeply rooted in the abnormal architecture | | | | profound contributions. Disability education, whether |
| of neurotransmitters in the brain. Further, the degree to | | | | taken on in the home or at the office, is a necessary |
| which the condition is expressed seems to hinge on | | | | for professionals in all industries to learn about and aid |
| the presence and extent of other impairments, such as | | | | the disabled in their pursuit for fulfillment in society. |
| mental retardation. Autism develops in about every | | | | Program Development Associates passionately links |
| one or two children per thousand, expressed most | | | | professionals with the educational resources |
| strongly during the ages of three to five years. The | | | | necessary to help disabled individuals develop as |
| earlier symptoms are identified, the more likely the | | | | professionals. P.D.A. also offers a free disability |
| individual can learn effective communication and social | | | | education resource catalog of D.V.D.s, C.D.s, videos, |
| skills. Symptoms may become more acute or | | | | interactive board games, and gaming software. |
| progressively chronic as these individuals develop into | | | | References: |
| adults. Thus, it is of extreme importance to understand | | | | (i) Kuban, K., & Leviton, A. (1994). Cerebral palsy. New |
| Autistic professionals on a personal level as the nature | | | | England Journal of Medicine, 330(3), 188-195. |
| of the disorder can differ profoundly from individual to | | | | (ii) Huebner, R.A., and Dunn, W. (2001). Introduction and |
| individual. Human Resources professionals are | | | | basic concepts. In Huebner, R.A., (Ed.), Autism: A |
| encouraged to engage in disability training and | | | | sensorimotor approach to management (pp. 3-40). |
| education catered towards Autistic individuals in | | | | Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishing, Inc. |
| specific. | | | | (iii) Kuban, K., & Leviton, A. (1994). Cerebral palsy. New |
| Cerebral Palsy | | | | England Journal of Medicine, 330(3), 188-195. |
| According to the New England Journal of Medicine, | | | | (iv) Kuban, K., & Leviton, A. (1994). Cerebral palsy. New |
| Cerebral Palsy is a broad, inclusive term for a group of | | | | England Journal of Medicine, 330(3), 188-195. |
| capricious but non progressive motor impairment | | | | |