Unknown disabilities in young adults

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021: Young adulthood could be a period of identity formation and physical growth. Research has shown that the journey of youngsters in life is challenging. Teens entering young adulthood are unlikely to display thinking capacities, emotional and social skills at a developmental level that can help them cope with the strain of an everchanging environment in today’s times of rapid technological advancement. If all goes well, biological and environmental factors allow a surge of growth paralleling those of childhood and adolescence.

A disability is defined as a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the same old standard of a personal or group. The term is employed to consult with individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment psychopathy, and various styles of chronic diseases.

Research says it is evident that on average one in five young adults have a high probability of being stricken by a typical mental disturbance. The World Health Organisation notes that “half of all mental state disorders in adulthood start by the age 14, but most cases are undetected and untreated.” Early onset of substance use is related to higher risks of developing dependence and other problems during adult life.

Psychopathy or psychological disorder refers to a considerable disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behaviour, capacity to acknowledge reality or ability to satisfy the normal demands of life.

Males are more likely to suffer from behavioural and autism-spectrum disorders along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, whereas the women are more likely to suffer from eating disorders and depression.

For most small children, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), young adulthood is crammed with new challenges. Some aspects of communication and social interaction may come across as challenging for autistic individuals. They’ll have difficulty regarding people and understanding their emotions. Autistic adults may additionally have inflexible thought patterns and behaviour and may do repetitive actions.

Adult attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be a psychological state disorder that has a mixture of persistent problems, like difficulty listening, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviour. Unstable relationships, low self-esteem and poor tolerance can result from adult ADHD.

Eating disorders refer to problems with the way people eat. They can harm an individual's health, emotions and relationships. There are several kinds of eating disorders, characterised by eating, exercising, or particular weights or body shapes becoming an unhealthy preoccupation of someone.

Many adults have a quite open struggle with learning disabilities. Such individuals have passed over on literacy skills development, particularly when schools or parents fail to recognize the symptoms ahead of time. The undiagnosed learning disorder can affect career choice, limit job advancement and result in some psychological and emotional issues, including depression and feelings of low self-worth. The tragedy is that with the correct diagnosis, coping strategies and accommodations may be put in situ to assist every such individual achieve their full potential.

Other Rare conditions in young adults are rheumatoid spondylitis, congenital disease, disseminated multiple sclerosis (MS) etc. These conditions end up in everyday challenges like, physical limitations, poor interpersonal skills, low self-esteem/ confidence. They reduce the standard of life. Ankylosing spondylitis may be a rare kind of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in one's spine. Common symptoms include lower back pain and stiffness, hip pain, joint pain, neck pain, difficulty breathing and fatigue.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disorder where the body attacks the central nervous system which is made up of the spinal cord and the brain. Common MS symptoms include fatigue and pain, vision problems, numbness and tingling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness, mobility problems.

Muscular Dystrophy (MD) could be a group of progressive neuromuscular genetic disorders. Common symptoms include frequent falls, muscle pain and stiffness, trouble running and jumping, waddling gait, walking on the toes

Therefore, children living with disabilities need the proper access to appropriate healthcare. A team of appropriately trained and well-resourced transition coordinators are needed to facilitate the method. Evaluation of existing conditions should be a future priority. It’s a process that needs time and requires a coordinated system-based approach.

The author is Occupational Therapist (M.O.Th Neuroscience), Masina Hospital, Mumbai

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)