impairment

Examples of impairment in the following topics:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by impaired social communication and restricted or repetitive behaviors.
  • The DSM-5 characterizes ASD by two primary symptoms: impairments in social communication and fixated or restricted behaviors or interests and associated features.
  • These deficits are present in early childhood (often by age 3) and lead to clinically significant functional impairment.
  • Previously, in the DSM-IV-TR, impairments in social interactions and impairments in communication were considered two separate symptoms; however, these have been combined in the DSM-5.
  • Social impairments in children with autism can be characterized by a distinctive lack of intuition about others.

• Learning Disabilities and Special Education

  • An intellectual disability, or general learning disability, is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors (such as self-help, communication, or interpersonal skills).
  • In addition to the disabilities listed above, IDEA covers deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delays, hearing impairments, emotional disturbance, orthopedic or other health impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness).

• Neurocognitive Disorders

  • Neurocognitive disorders involve impairments in cognitive abilities such as memory, problem solving, and perception.
  • Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), previously referred to in the DSM-IV-TR as dementia, are disorders that involve impairments in cognitive abilities such as memory, problem solving, and perception.
  • In order to be diagnosed, a person must exhibit a cognitive decline and some impairment in cognitive functioning.
  • The neurocognitive impairments related to Parkinson's disease are diagnosed using the same criteria listed above for Alzheimer's disease.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • Intellectual disabilities are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning.
  • An intellectual disability is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning.
  • In general, people with intellectual disability have an IQ below 70, but the diagnosis may also apply to individuals who have a somewhat higher IQ but severe impairment in adaptive functioning.

• Depressants

  • Effects often include ataxia, anxiolysis, pain relief, sedation or somnolence, and cognitive/memory impairment; in some instances, effects include euphoria, dissociation, muscle relaxation, lowered blood pressure or heart rate, respiratory depression, anticonvulsant effects, and even complete anesthesia or death.
  • Though initially a stimulant, alcohol ultimately depresses the brain, resulting in relaxation and impaired judgment.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • Disabilities can manifest themselves as limited language, impaired speech, or difficulty performing academically.
  • An individual must also display deficits in adaptive functioning; have impairments in at least two areas of functioning, such as self-care, social skills, or living skills; and experience the onset of symptoms before the age of 18 in order to be diagnosed as having an intellectual disability.
  • These individuals have fundamental mental impairments and need optimal care, which requires a structured environment with one-to-one supervision by a caregiver.

• Nutrition and Health

  • Vitamin deficiencies may result in physical dysfunction, including impaired immune function, premature aging, and even poor psychological health.
  • Chronic malnourishment prevents healthy growth and impairs vital body functions; this leads to physical health problems and, eventually, death.
  • While malnutrition refers to physical impairments resulting from a poor diet, the underlying nutritional deficiencies can have significant impact on mental well-being (including perception and judgment), and often exacerbate existing psychological disorders.

• Dissociative Disorders

  • Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a rare mental disorder characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that recurrently control a person's behavior; it is accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
  • The disorder must lead to some kind of impairment in social, occupational, or daily life functioning, and the symptoms must not be attributed to normal cultural or religious practices (or fantasy play in children).
  • Dissociative amnesia must occur on more than one occasion and must impair some aspect of the individual's life (social, occupational, etc.).
  • As with any dissociative disorder, the symptoms must be severe enough to cause clinically significant distress or significantly impair the individual's functioning in at least one major area of life (e.g., work or social life).
  • Dissociative Identity Disorder is characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that recurrently control a person's behavior, and is accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

• Other Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

  • Severely impairing quality of life, body dysmorphic disorder can lead to social isolation and involves especially high rates of suicidal ideation.
  • Hoarding disorder is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by excessive acquisition and an inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of the home and cause significant distress or impairment.
  • Compulsive hoarding behavior has been associated with health risks, impaired functioning, economic burden, and adverse effects on friends and family members.
  • When clinically significant enough to impair functioning, hoarding can prevent typical uses of space, enough so that it can limit activities such as cooking, cleaning, moving through the house, and sleeping.
  • A common hypothesis is that excoriation disorder is a coping mechanism to deal with elevated levels of turmoil, arousal, or stress within the individual, and that the individual has an impaired stress response.

• Eating Disorders

  • Walsh and Fairburn define an eating disorder as "a persistent disturbance of eating behavior, or behavior intended to control weight, which significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. " Eating disorders have been proven to be more prevalent in women than men, as well as more prevalent in cultures that idealize thinness.
  • Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa shown in this picture, involve abnormal eating patterns which can affect both physical and mental health, including impairments in memory.