Developmental Disabilities In Waldorf, MD

Developmental disabilities are disorders arising from problems that affect children’s abilities in four areas:

• Learning
• Language
• Behavior
• Physical function

These problems become apparent during a child’s early development. They typically continue to affect people’s daily functioning throughout their lives.

Children have regular checkups with their primary care provider or pediatrician soon after birth and at specific intervals to ensure they meet certain developmental milestones.

These milestones are skills and abilities displayed when playing, speaking, moving, behaving, and learning that most children reach around the same age, like being able to count to 10 by age five.

Children vary, so some might not meet their expected milestones while others reach them early. However, milestones are helpful tools for identifying potential developmental disabilities.

Developmental disabilities that could benefit from therapy include:

• ASD
• Learning disorders
• Intellectual disability
• ADHD

People with these conditions are more likely to experience social and emotional loneliness, isolation, and other negative experiences. They’re also at increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

The team of mental health professionals at One Alkaline Life, LLC offers expert therapy and support to adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities who experience mental health and related problems.

Some of the most valuable techniques for helping people with developmental disabilities are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused therapy.

CBT helps you understand your thoughts and how they sometimes cause you problems. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on finding ways for you to recognize your skills and learn new ones to help you achieve your goals.

One Alkaline Life, LLC’s team of mental health professionals adapts therapy sessions to meet each client’s specific needs. They use modified CBT and solution-focused therapy techniques tailored to each person’s challenges. For example, they might use alternative forms of communication, like cue cards, for someone who struggles with language.

Using the client’s abilities as a guide is vital when helping people with developmental disabilities. This might mean using role-playing techniques, adapting to a client’s reasoning skills, or shorter therapy sessions (two sessions of 30 minutes each week rather than one hourly session, for instance).

To discover the benefits of specialized therapy for people with developmental disabilities, call One Alkaline Life, LLC, or book a telehealth appointment online today.