A damaged development in children includes a mental disorder. Typically, the cause is an organic lesion of the central nervous structures. The most characteristic model is organic dementia. It develops as a result of previous infectious diseases, traumatic injuries of the nervous system, changes in the hereditary-degenerative nature, metabolic disorders in the structures of the brain.
Characterization of damaged development in children
With dementia, intellectual activity is weakened. The phenomenon, as a rule, is irreversible. Memory, emotional-volitional sphere suffers. But it should not be equated with oligophrenia. Although it is associated with a similar origin, it occurs only in children aged 2–3 years or begins to progress markedly. At this time, some of the mental functions have already completed their formation, and the other continues its active formation.
Different mental functions are not the same in the duration of their formation. From this, the meaning of age in this process becomes clear. In other words, it is determined by the age when the damage occurred. This is a differential diagnostic sign and represents the main difference between underdevelopment and damaged development.
Types of Organic Dementia
Organic dementia is characterized by four types:
- In the first type, children have a low level of communication.
- The second type is characterized by a condition associated with gross neurodynamic disorders. Thought processes are slowed down, with a pronounced manifestation of poor switchability. A child cannot strain his thoughts. There is no logical construction in the thinking of such children.
- The third type is characterized by a condition that is associated with insufficient motivation for any activity. Such children are apathetic, their thinking activity is sharply reduced.
- In the case of the fourth type of damaged development in children, the purposefulness of thinking is insufficient or completely absent. This type is associated with gross attention disorders. The child is constantly distracted by something.
Minimal cerebral dysfunction
Often there is such a pathology as MMD (minimal cerebral dysfunction). With her, the nervous system does not function enough. There are biological reasons for this. Mild disorders in behavior are observed, learning ability is reduced, but pronounced intellectual deviations are absent.
Usually the cause of this phenomenon is the action of harmful factors during the period of intrauterine development. This may include the mother’s addiction to alcohol, her infections, birth trauma, and some other points. The action of these factors leads to the fact that locally affected cortical or subcortical parts of the brain.
How does MMD manifest itself?
It must be said that such manifestations can be of a very different nature, which is determined by the localization of damage. Violations related to motor skills come to the fore. The child has awkward movements, he constantly builds various grimaces. The manifestation of severe motor disinhibition is noted. Sleep is disturbed, the child is excitable, his behavior becomes uncontrollable.
Over time, as the child’s body develops, the existing disorders are gradually compensated. If you create favorable conditions for the educational process, as well as with correctly conducted medical correction, all manifestations have a minimal degree of severity. Sometimes this is revealed only with an in-depth special examination.
Such conditions directly depend on the amount of damage. Therefore, they can be local and diffuse in nature. The general condition of the child is determined by the amount of damage.
Local damage
The cause of local injuries, primarily, are neoplasms. But not only they can cause local damage. Damaging factors of development can be both a cyst and hemorrhage. If adequate therapeutic measures are taken, then the prognosis is favorable. Specificity consists in the age of the damage, and what compensatory capabilities the body of a particular child has.
For damaged mental development, a mosaic pattern is characteristic. The emotional and personal plan is characterized by a wide range of manifestations. Conditionally normative development and pronounced brutal forms may take place. It is difficult for teenagers to perceive. The imprint is imposed by the existing mental trauma. Teenagers simply do not want to believe that they will once get better, therefore they treat their health with coolness.
Psychotherapeutic work
Correctional measures of a psychologist should begin only after the acute condition has been removed. First, they are agreed with a neurologist. Psychotherapeutic work is carried out not only with the child himself, but also with his parents, and with the family as a whole. It is conducted with the participation of a pathologist and speech therapist. A negative situation (inadequate treatment, correctional work that was started late) leads to an unfavorable prognosis.
Great help is provided by the teacher-defectologist, who helps the child in learning. First, individual lessons are held, and only after the doctor gives the go-ahead, the child proceeds to standard education. Of course, even under such conditions, he needs a protective regime. In case of significant injuries, in addition to an ordinary teacher, the help of a correctional specialist is required.
Diffuse damage
Their occurrence is due to a variety of reasons. They can become progressive hydrocephalus, meningococcal infection, severe traumatic brain damage. In the foreground is a change in the psyche of varying degrees of severity. Mental activity is uneven, with pronounced fluctuations. The child's performance is markedly reduced. Naturally, criticism, adequacy and learning are reduced.
In children, there is a clear emotional inertness, and on the other hand, pronounced lability. There may be disharmony of personality traits. Correction requires competent measures of a medical and regimen-recovery nature. The decisive role is played by psychological and corrective measures. A psychologist with his coordinating function comes to the fore here. Parents need to work closely with the teacher.
Of course, with diffuse lesions, the prognosis is less favorable than in the case of local lesions. The outcome is determined by various factors and is determined by the extent to which the child’s body has developed compensatory capabilities.
Mental trauma
It refers to a special type of damage. Despite the fact that it is absent in psychological typology, it is precisely the work of psychologists that is directed at it. It is exclusively dealt with by psychologists. Children require special educational conditions.
Such injuries are usually accompanied by abnormalities in mental development. It can be carried out in the conditions of acute injuries and pass with their chronic exposure.
Mental injuries can conditionally be divided into two types:
- The first of these is the physical type. This is all that is associated with the impact on the human body, figuratively speaking, with his physical world.
- The second is the narcissistic type. This kind is associated with social relations. This is a relationship towards other people, subjectivity.
Such injuries are also divided by a temporary nature. Usually they are associated with some episodes associated with social and physical violence. The cause may be a natural disaster or a sharp change in lifestyle.
The main point in this direction is the active identification of those children who have organics of damage to brain structures. Such children are subject to comprehensive monitoring. In addition to pediatricians, such children are observed by a neurologist, psychologist, speech therapist. Various pedagogical programs are used, the nature of which is determined by the state of the child's intelligence. They attach great importance to the development of imaginative thinking and visual material. Gradually, the child's training opportunity, in which there is a switch from one lesson to another.
Little conclusion
Damaged development is understood as a situation in which the child's psyche develops against the background of organic lesions of the central structures of the brain. The condition is due to a large number of reasons, it is not simple, it requires significant efforts and patience in carrying out adequate corrective measures.