PowerPoint presentation on children with neurological and health problems related to guidance and counseling. Contents range from nature, etiology, assessment, and prevalence of the disability.

2. Mini-Game to
Tickle the Brain

3. •_____ _______ U _________ ________ N
NEURON

4. •C H ___ ____ ____ _____ _____ _____ ____ ____ _____
CHROMOSOMES

5. •_____ ____ T ____ T ______ _____ N
MUTATION

6. I. NATURE, ETIOLOGY, ASSESSMENT
AND PREVALENCE OF THE DISABILITY

7. • A neurologic disorder is caused by a dysfunction in the brain or
nervous system (i.e. spinal cord and nerves). This dysfunction can
result in physical and psychological symptoms.
 WHAT IS A NEUROLOGIC DISORDER?
• Neurological disorders are medically defined as disorders that
affect the brain as well as the nerves found throughout the human
body and the spinal cord.

8. The specific causes of neurological problems vary, but can
include genetic disorders, congenital abnormalities or disorders,
infections, lifestyle or environmental health problems including
malnutrition, and brain injury, spinal cord injury or nerve injury.
Symptoms vary as well. Types of symptoms include:
 Physical
 Cognitive (or thinking)
 Emotional
 Behavioral

9. Specific disorders have combinations or clusters of these symptoms. For
example, cerebral palsy tends to have more physical symptoms. ADHD
tends to affect behavior more.
Many neurologic disorders emerge during the early years of
development. They may be diagnosed at birth. Some are diagnosed later.
Symptoms may only appear when:
-A child misses developmental milestones or has developmental
difficulties (such as with autism)
-A damaging infection occurs (such as with meningitis)
-An accident causes brain injury (such as with a stroke, trauma)

10. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Gene Abnormalities
Chromosome Abnormalities
Metabolic Disorder
Congenital Malformations

11. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Prenatal and Perinatal Causes
A neurologic disorder can be caused during pregnancy
(prenatal). It can also be caused throughout the period
before, during, and after birth (perinatal). Such causes
include:
 Toxins and environmental factors

12. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Neurotoxins include:
Alcohol (linked to fetal alcohol syndrome)
Lead (linked to intelligence, learning, and memory difficulties)
Mercury (linked to learning and development disorders)
Tobacco (linked to challenging behaviors and developmental
impairments)
Food additives (linked to higher rates of ADHD in children)

13. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Nutritional Deficiencies
Growth requires nutrients. A deficiency of nutrients during the last three
months of pregnancy can decrease the number of brain cells. A deficiency
of folic acid (a B vitamin) could lead to a neural tube defect (NTD). One
example of an NTD is spina bifida (open spine).

14. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
 Infections
A mother can pass a TORCH infection to her baby during pregnancy. These include
sexually transmitted infections. As reflected by the letters in the name, TORCH
infections include:
Toxoplasmosis
Other infections (hepatitis B, syphilis, varicella-zoster virus, HIV, and parvovirus
B19)
Rubella
Cytomegalovirus
Herpes simplex virus

15. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Acquired Causes
Acquired causes develop after birth. They are less
common than congenital causes. They include:
Immune disorders
Post-natal Infections – encephalitis, meningitis

16. CAUSES OF NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
Acquired Causes
Traumatic Brain Injuries – occurs when head trauma
damages the brain
Spinal Cord Injuries -
Neoplasm - an abnormal mass of tissue or tumor. Tumors
can develop in the brain or spinal cord.
Toxins - Exposure to environmental chemicals or toxins
during childhood can lead to neurologic impairment.

17. Emotional challenges
Abnormal body movements
Seizures
Memory problems
Behavioral changes
Speech impairments
Epilepsy
.

18. Hearing impairments
Memory difficulties
Coordination and balance problems
Learning impairments
Cerebral palsy
Vision loss

19. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
oTraumatic brain injury (TBI), a form
of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden
trauma causes damage to the brain.
o TBI may have profound physical, psychological,
cognitive, emotional, and social effects.

20. o Considering symptom severity and duration (loss of
consciousness, posttraumatic amnesia, and
memory and motor deficits), TBI can be classified
as concussion, mild, moderate, or severe

21. o Someone with TBI, even if medically stable, is likely
to experience subsequent symptoms ranging from
physical (headache, fatigue, and visual/auditory
sensitivity) to cognitive (deficits in memory,
attention, concentration, and executive function)
and emotional (depression, anxiety) symptoms

22. o Traumatic brain injury does not always result in obvious motor
impairment. Other hidden symptoms related to cognition and
behavior can also occur with traumatic brain injury. The fact
that the population living with traumatic brain injury are largely
invisible and are not outspoken about their needs plus
widespread misunderstanding of the impact of related
conditions, has earned the traumatic brain injury the name the
“silent epidemic”.

23. o The incidence amongst children and adolescents
creates new challenges in the field of traumatic
brain injury with often-overlooked symptoms such
as behavioral change or educational difficulties
and vulnerability to criminalization.

24. SYMPTOMS OF MILD TBI

25. Epilepsy/ Seizures Disorders
 Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which a person has two or
more unprovoked seizures that occur more than 24 hours apart.
A seizure is an excessive surge of electrical activity in the brain
that can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on which parts
of the brain are involved.
Seizures may be the result of genetics or a brain injury, but often
their cause is unknown. The words “seizure disorder” and
“epilepsy” are often used interchangeably

26. Epilepsy/ Seizures Disorders

27. Tourette Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a condition of the nervous system.
TS causes people to have “tics”.
Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do
repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from
doing these things. For example, a person might keep blinking
over and over. Or, a person might make a grunting sound
unwillingly. Having tics is a little bit like having hiccups. Even
though you might not want to hiccup, your body does it anyway.

28. Tourette Syndrome
Types of Tics - There are two types of tics—motor and
vocal.
Motor tics are movements of the body. Examples of motor
tics include blinking, shrugging the shoulders, or jerking an
arm.
Vocal tics are sounds that a person makes with his or her
voice. Examples of vocal tics include humming, clearing the
throat, or yelling out a word or phrase.

29.  Symptoms of Tourette syndrome
The main symptoms of TS are tics. Symptoms usually begin
when a child is 5 to 10 years of age. The first symptoms
often are motor tics that occur in the head and neck area.
Tics usually are worse during times that are stressful or
exciting. They tend to improve when a person is calm or
focused on an activity.
The types of tics and how often a person has tics changes a
lot over time. Even though the symptoms might appear,
disappear, and reappear, these conditions are considered
chronic.

30.  Diagnosing Tourette syndrome
There is no single test, like a blood test, to diagnose TS.
Health professionals look at the person’s symptoms to
diagnose TS and other tic disorders. The tic disorders differ
from each other in terms of the type of tic present (motor or
vocal, or combination of the both), and how long the
symptoms have lasted. TS can be diagnosed if a person has
both motor and vocal tics, and has had tic symptoms for at
least a year.

31.  Treatment for Tourette syndrome
Although there is no cure for TS, there are treatments
available to help manage the tics. Many people with TS have
tics that do not get in the way of their daily life and, therefore,
do not need any treatment. However, medication and
behavioral treatments are available if tics cause pain or injury;
interfere with school, work, or social life; or cause stress.

32. OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS
Pulmonary disorders - asthma
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It is
one of the most common long-term diseases of
children, but adults can have asthma, too.
Asthma causes wheezing, breathlessness,
chest tightness, and coughing at night or early
in the morning. If you have asthma, you have it
all the time, but you will have asthma attacks
only when something bothers your lungs.

33. o What Is an Asthma Attack?
An asthma attack may include coughing, chest tightness,
wheezing, and trouble breathing. The attack happens in the body’s
airways, which are the paths that carry air to the lungs. As the air
moves through the lungs, the airways become smaller, like the
branches of a tree are smaller than the tree trunk. During an
asthma attack, the sides of the airways in the lungs swell and the
airways shrink. Less air gets in and out lungs, and mucous that
body makes clogs up the airways.
Asthma can be controlled by knowing the warning signs of an
asthma attack, staying away from things that cause an attack, and
following doctor’s advice.

34. o How Can You Tell if You Have Asthma?
• Prevalence of cough especially at night
• Breathing problems are worse after physical activity or at certain times of
year
• There is chest tightness, wheezing, and colds lasting more than 10 days.
Family history of asthma
• The doctor may also do a breathing test, called spirometry, to find out
how well your lungs are working by testing how much air you can
breathe out after taking a very deep breath before and after
taking asthma medicine.

35. o What Causes an Asthma Attack?
An asthma attack can happen when one is exposed to
“asthma triggers.” Asthma triggers can be very different
from someone else’s asthma triggers. Knowing one’s
triggers and learn how to avoid them. Some of the most
common triggers are tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor
air pollution, cockroach allergen, pets, mold, smoke from
burning wood or grass, and infections like flu.

37. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
A brief and comprehensive summary of recent research regarding
psychological interventions for patients surviving a traumatic brain
injury showed that CBT outstands as the preferred therapeutic
approach for treating behavioral and emotional disturbances. Also,
other related therapies such as dialectical behavior, mindfulness,
and acceptance and commitment therapies have been proposed,
and probably in the years to come, more literature regarding their
effectiveness will be available.
Current TBI therapies include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy,
and cognitive rehabilitation.

38. EPILEPSY/SEIZURES
Psychological interventions such as psychotherapy,
individual, group or family counselling, progressive
relaxation therapy and cognitive behavior therapy have
been used to treat psychopathology associated with
epilepsy (Davis et al, 1984; Miller 1994).
o How to help a student with epilepsy

41. o To help a student with epilepsy the
teacher should consider the social and
emotional needs as follows:
1) Meeting with the student and parent to
discuss, in detail, the student’s epilepsy,
i.e. seizure description, first aid
instructions, medication, and triggers.
2) Encouraging a ‘buddy’ system to operate
within the classroom/school to prevent the
student with epilepsy from feeling socially
isolated

42. 3) Educating the classmates about the epilepsy condition
and explain how to help someone during a seizure.
Epilepsy is still a misunderstood condition, and stigmas
and prejudice are still present in schools and
communities at large.
4) Identifying behavioral changes that could indicate a
side effect or a mood change leading to depression, poor
self-esteem, and anxiety. Since epilepsy is an
unpredictable episodic event, many students may feel
embarrassed, angry, or anxious about having epilepsy
and these emotions need to be addressed in order to
avoid developing mental health issues.

43. o Teachers could help students with epilepsy by
recognizing and understanding learning challenges by:
1) Understanding that stress is a well-known seizure
trigger. Exams, tests, and deadlines may precipitate
more seizures in a student with epilepsy. Please allow
extra time for the student to finish an exam or test
and, if necessary, provide a separate room for him/her
to use.
2) Recognize that seizures and medications can cause
memory and concentration issues. Put in place strategies
to help aid in encoding, storing, and retrieving
information.

44. -Eliminate distractions
-Give a short set of instructions that are clearly
understood by the student
-Be prepared to re-instruct during a lesson
-Allow for processing time
-Give the student notes to use instead of having
him/her copy from the board

45. -Teach basic study skills such as highlighting, paraphrasing,
outlining, and summarizing
-Encourage the use of organizational aids such as preparing
lists, timetables, diaries
-Simplify tasks
-Use diagrams, graphs, and pictures
-Provide frequent feedback
-Provide additional time to complete work
-One-on-one instruction
-Create a supportive environment to enhance the student’s
learning potential
-Positively help a child, absent with seizures,
by providing notes for him/her

46. -TOURETTE SYNDROME (TS)
Although there is no cure for Tourette Syndrome (TS), there
are treatments to help manage the tics caused by TS. Many
people with TS have tics that do not get in the way of their
living their daily life and, therefore, do not need any
treatment. However, medication and behavioral treatments
like Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
are available if tics cause pain or injury; interfere with school,
work, or social life; or cause stress.

47.  Psychological Intervention to TS
o Behavioral therapy is a treatment that teaches people with
TS ways to manage their tics. Behavioral therapy is not a
cure for tics. However, it can help reduce the number of
tics, the severity of tics, the impact of tics, or a
combination of all of these.
o Habit Reversal

48.  Psychological Intervention to TS
Habit reversal is one of the most studied behavioral
interventions for people with tics. It has two main parts:
awareness training and competing response training. In the
awareness training part, people identify each tic out loud. In
the competing response part, people learn to do a new
behavior that cannot happen at the same time as the tic. For
example, if the person with TS has a tic that involves head
rubbing, a new behavior might be for that person to place
their hands on their knees, or to cross their arms so that the
head rubbing cannot take place.

49.  Psychological Intervention to TS
Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
CBIT is an evidence-based type of behavioral therapy for TS
and chronic tic disorders. CBIT includes habit reversal in
addition to other strategies, including education about tics
and relaxation techniques. CBIT has been shown to be
effective at reducing tic symptoms and tic-related impairment
among children and adults.

50. OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS - ASTHMA
 Psychological factors may influence the symptoms and
management of asthma in children in many ways. There
is evidence that emotional stress can either precipitate or
exacerbate both acute and chronic asthma (Sandberg
2000.
 Several psychotherapeutic interventions may be
employed to ameliorate these problems. These include
family therapy, educational interventions, behavioral
therapies, cognitive therapies, cognitive behavioral
therapy, relaxation techniques, psychodynamic
psychotherapies and counselling, in both individual and
group formats.

51. o Actions for the Classroom Teacher in Managing Students
with Asthma
 Know which kids in your class have asthma.
 Know the early warning signs of an asthma episode or attack.
 . Know what steps to take in case of an asthma attack.
 Develop a clear procedure with the student and parent for handling
schoolwork missed due to asthma.
 Understand that a student with asthma may feel: Drowsy or tired
Different from the other kids
Anxious about access to medications
Embarrassed about the disruption to school activities that asthma symptoms
can cause
Withdrawn

52. o Actions for the Classroom Teacher in Managing Students
with Asthma
 Help the student feel more comfortable by recognizing feelings. Try to
maintain confidentiality. Educate classmates about asthma so they will be
more understanding and know when to get help from an adult
 Know the possible side effects of asthma medications and how they may
impact the student’s performance in the classroom. Refer any problem to
the school nurse or other appropriate school staff, and parent(s). Common
side effects of medicine that warrant referral are nervousness, nausea,
jitteriness, hyperactivity, and drowsiness.
 Reduce known allergens in the classroom to help students who have
allergies and asthma. Common allergens found in classrooms include chalk
dust, animals, pests, molds, and strong odors (perfumes, paints).

53. o Actions for the Classroom Teacher in Managing Students
with Asthma
 Encourage the student with asthma to participate in physical activities, but
make sure they follow proper precautions.
 Allow a student to engage in quiet activity if recovery from an acute episode
precludes full participation.
 Control/cover chemicals and volatile materials used in science, art and
other classes.
 Avoid using pens, glue, and paints that emit irritating fumes. Explain the
reason.
 Plants are sources of mold growth; reduce the quantity of plants in a
classroom.
 Allow fresh air to circulate into the room at all times.

54. o Actions for the Classroom Teacher in Managing Students
with Asthma
 Encourage the student with asthma to participate in physical activities, but
make sure they follow proper precautions.
 Allow a student to engage in quiet activity if recovery from an acute episode
precludes full participation.
 Control/cover chemicals and volatile materials used in science, art and
other classes.
 Avoid using pens, glue, and paints that emit irritating fumes. Explain the
reason.
 Plants are sources of mold growth; reduce the quantity of plants in a
classroom.
 Allow fresh air to circulate into the room at all times.

56. References:
• https://www.childneurologyfoundation.org/what-is-a-neurologic-disorder/
• https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/326643-overview
• https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm#:~:text=Asthma
• https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/facts.html#:~:text=Tourette%20Syndrome
• https://www.physio-pedia.com/Overview_of_Traumatic_Brain_Injury
• https://nyulangone.org/conditions/epilepsy-seizure-disorders/types
• https://ewct.org.nz/help-students-epilepsy/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6525953/
• https://getasthmahelp.org/teacher.aspx