Conditions

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a form of ADHD that causes problems with inattentiveness, but not with hyperactivity or impulsiveness.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), also known as Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Asperger’s syndrome (used by some people to describe autistic people with average or above average intelligence), is a term used to describe a lifelong pervasive developmental disability which affect the way in which a group of people understand and react to the world around them.

According to the National Autistic Society, more than 1 in every 100 of the population have autism, which equates to 700,000 people. If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people.

Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning difficulties or other coexisting conditions, which means that every autistic person will need a different and individual level of support. With the right sort of support, autistic people can be helped to live a more fulfilling and independent life.

In the UK, around 100,000 children are affected by autism. Whilst there are specialist schools available, 71% of children with autism attend mainstream schools. Over 11% of children with special educational needs in state funded schools have a diagnosis of autism and the number of Statements/EHCPs that list autism as the primary need has increased by 3% since 2010.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in word reading and spelling, including difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, although these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.

Epilepsy is a common condition that affects the brain and causes frequent seizures. Seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works. They can cause a wide range of symptoms. Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60. It's often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time.

Hearing loss, also known as hearing impairment, is a partial or total inability to hear. A deaf person has little to no hearing. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to learn spoken language and in adults it can create difficulties with social interaction and at work. Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent.

Sensory processing disorder (sometimes called sensory integration disorder) is a neurological disorder in which the sensory information that the individual perceives results in abnormal responses. Sensory processing challenges may lead to oversensitivity (hypersensitivity) which leads to sensory avoidance or undersensitivity (hyposensitivity) which leads to sensory seeking.

Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment or vision loss, is a decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses.