Developmental Disorders and Mental Health Disorders

According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Act on the Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Official Gazette 6/2007), persons with disabilities are individuals who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Developmental disorders (neurodevelopmental disorders) have a neurological basis and may interfere with the acquisition, retention, or application of specific skills or sets of information. They may include impairments in attention, memory, perception, language, problem-solving, or social interactions. Such disorders can be mild and easily managed with behavioural and modified educational approaches, or they can be more severe, requiring greater support for affected children (Sulkes, n.d.).

Mental health disorders are characterised by significant disruptions in an individual's mental activity, emotional regulation, and social adjustment behaviours. They are typically associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning (Singh, n.d.).

This lesson will present some characteristics of motor disorders and chronic diseases, specific learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, visual and hearing impairments, and mental health disorders.