Chronic Disease and Disability: Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Neurodevelopmental disabilities are a diverse group of chronic disorders that begin at any time during the development process - from conception through completion of adolescence. The impact of such disabilities last throughout an individual's lifetime. The underlying basis for these disorders lies in fundamental deficits in the developing brain due to genetic, prenatal, perinatal, metabolic, and other factors. Developmental disabilities affect 17% of individuals younger than 18 years of age in the United States. Prevention along with early recognition and intervention is critically important to mitigate the adverse impact of developmental disabilities, both at an individual level and at societal level. Children and adults with disabilities need routine preventive and acute medical care and access to services similar to those who do not have such disabilities. The quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with disabilities largely depend on the access and adequacy of community-based support systems. With appropriate support, most individuals with disability can maintain relative independence and productive life. In this book we have gathered some recent selected topics on neurodevelopmental disabilities which we hope will be of interest for the reader.