The abilities we serve
DAHLIA Living supports 25 adults with many different diagnoses. Here is a quick guide to some of the abilities that we work with:
Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction skills. Autism is thought to be present from birth and is usually recognized by three years of age. Not everyone with autism displays the same behaviors. There are many signs of autism and they may be experienced by varying degrees; severe autism is considered a disability.
Diagnosis of autism depends upon the patient showing symptoms of social interaction impairment, communication impairment, and a restricted, repetitive pattern of behavior.
Communication symptoms can include a lack of responsiveness or unusual gestures. It has been reported that at least one-third of autistic individuals do not develop speech and communication enough to meet the needs of daily life.
Restrictive behavior can include purposeless movement such as rocking, head rolling, hand flapping, and other movements. It can also include compulsive behavior such as rearranging objects and needing to control the physical environment. Ritual behavior is also a common symptom of autism, such as needing to do things the same way and at the same time every day and resisting change in the environment. Limited activity, focus, and interest is also a symptom of autism, as well as self-injury, such as biting oneself, pulling hair, and other self-injury activities. None of these symptoms are specific to autism, but these behaviors are often present, severe, and reoccurring.
For more information visit the National Autism Society.
Diagnosis of autism depends upon the patient showing symptoms of social interaction impairment, communication impairment, and a restricted, repetitive pattern of behavior.
Communication symptoms can include a lack of responsiveness or unusual gestures. It has been reported that at least one-third of autistic individuals do not develop speech and communication enough to meet the needs of daily life.
Restrictive behavior can include purposeless movement such as rocking, head rolling, hand flapping, and other movements. It can also include compulsive behavior such as rearranging objects and needing to control the physical environment. Ritual behavior is also a common symptom of autism, such as needing to do things the same way and at the same time every day and resisting change in the environment. Limited activity, focus, and interest is also a symptom of autism, as well as self-injury, such as biting oneself, pulling hair, and other self-injury activities. None of these symptoms are specific to autism, but these behaviors are often present, severe, and reoccurring.
For more information visit the National Autism Society.
Down Syndrome
In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.
This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm – although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.
For more information visit the National Association for Down Syndrome.
This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm – although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.
For more information visit the National Association for Down Syndrome.
Seizure Disorders (Epilepsy)
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes recurring seizures. It can be the result of a condition such as cerebral palsy or strokes, but there is often no known cause. The symptoms of a seizure can range from simple staring spells to convulsions and loss of consciousness. The seizures can also vary in frequency, although in order to be diagnosed with epilepsy you must have had two unprovoked seizures.
Epilepsy is primarily treated with medications, which are successful in reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in more than half of epilepsy patients. However, even mild seizures can be dangerous if they happen at certain times, such as when you’re driving or swimming, and could limit your ability to perform some work activities.
For more information visit the American Epilepsy Society.
Epilepsy is primarily treated with medications, which are successful in reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in more than half of epilepsy patients. However, even mild seizures can be dangerous if they happen at certain times, such as when you’re driving or swimming, and could limit your ability to perform some work activities.
For more information visit the American Epilepsy Society.
Cerebral Palsy
While Cerebral Palsy is a blanket term commonly referred to as “CP” and described by loss or impairment of motor function, Cerebral Palsy is actually caused by brain damage. The brain damage is caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain that occurs while a child’s brain is still developing — before birth, during birth, or immediately after birth.
Cerebral Palsy affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning.
For more information visit United Cerebral Palsy.
Cerebral Palsy affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning.
For more information visit United Cerebral Palsy.
Visual Impairment and Blindness
Total blindness is the inability to tell light from dark, or the total inability to see. Visual impairment of low vision is a severe reduction in vision that cannot be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person’s ability to function at certain or all tasks. Legal blindness (which is actually severe visual impairment) refers to a best corrected central vision of 20/200 or worse in the better eye or a visual acuity of better than 20/200 but with a visual field no greater than 20 degrees (ex: side vision that is so reduced that it appears as if the person is looking through a tunnel).
For more information visit the Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
For more information visit the Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. In muscular dystrophy, abnormal genes (mutations) interfere with the production of proteins needed to form healthy muscle. There are many different kinds of muscular dystrophy. Symptoms of the most common variety begin in childhood, mostly in boys. Other types don't surface until adulthood. There's no cure for muscular dystrophy. But medications and therapy can help manage symptoms and slow the course of the disease.
For more information visit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
For more information visit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Rett Syndrome
Rett syndrome is a unique postnatal neurological disorder that is first recognized in infancy and seen almost always in girls, but can be rarely seen in boys. Rett syndrome has been most often misdiagnosed as autism, cerebral palsy, or nonspecific developmental delay. It is caused by mutations on the X chromosome on a gene called MECP2. Rett syndrome strikes all racial and ethnic groups, and occurs worldwide in 1 of every 10,000 female births. Rett syndrome is a postnatal neurological disorder. It is not a degenerative disorder. Rett syndrome causes problems in brain function that are responsible for cognitive, sensory, emotional, motor and autonomic function. These can include learning, speech, sensory sensations, mood, movement, breathing, cardiac function, and even chewing, swallowing, and digestion.
For more information visit RettSyndrome.org.
For more information visit RettSyndrome.org.
Spina Bifida
Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly. It falls under the broader category of neural tube defects. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that eventually develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them.
Normally, the neural tube forms early in pregnancy, and it closes by the 28th day after conception. In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones of the spine.
Spina bifida can range from mild to severe, depending on the type of defect, size, location and complications. When early treatment for spina bifida is necessary, it's done surgically, although such treatment doesn't always completely resolve the problem.
For more information visit the Spina Bifida Association.
Normally, the neural tube forms early in pregnancy, and it closes by the 28th day after conception. In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones of the spine.
Spina bifida can range from mild to severe, depending on the type of defect, size, location and complications. When early treatment for spina bifida is necessary, it's done surgically, although such treatment doesn't always completely resolve the problem.
For more information visit the Spina Bifida Association.