Neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia were in the past referred to as “global developmental delays”, referring to delays in two or more areas of developmental, or milestones (Gupta, Gupta, and Ahmed 2016). The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” fifth edition (DMS-5) has groupedthem together using the term “neurodevelopmental disorders” (American Psychiatric Association 2013), hence the term used by BOOM.
Neurodevelopmental disorders refer to conditions originating from “impairments in the developing brain and/or the central nervous system” (Bakare, Munir, and Bello-Mojeed 2014) that upset a child’s social behavior, recollection, and learning capability. Examples of these neurological impairments and disorders include, but are not limited to autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and learning deficits (World Health Organization 2011).
These neurological disorders and impairments are linked chiefly with the operational function of the nervous system and the brain. They are recognized as a disability in children since they hinder their full potential participation in daily life activities. The conditions display persistent deficits in “social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts” (American Psychiatric Association 2017). Children living with neurodevelopmental disorders and impairments may exhibit problems with motor skills, conduct, recollection, learning, language and communication, or other nervous system functions.
The conditions displayed could inhibit the typical development and the child’s efforts to relate to the people in their spheres such as family and peers, thus delaying them in reaching the ordinary progressive milestones, like acquiring independence and self-caring skills, relating with peers, and being able to learn in formal schools (Wills 2014). Diagnosis and treatment of these conditions can be challenging; management of neurological disorders and impairments usually comprise a blend of “professional therapy, pharmaceuticals, and home and school-based programs” (Mushtaq, Suman, and Terhuja 2014). Although the symptoms and characteristics of neurodevelopmental impairments ordinarily change as a child develops, some infirmities are permanent.