Child Development Units (CDUs)
Child development units have been established in many large hospitals and child-health centers for early diagnosis and comprehensive management of developmental delay. These units are served by a multi-disciplinary team of pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and special educators.
These units not only offer diagnostic and therapeutic services for developmental delay or intellectual disability but also provide management of co-morbidities, behavioral interventions, special educational activities, and parental counselling.
3.6 INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
TABLE 3.10: Investigations in developmental delay
• Neuroimaging: CT/MRI for structural CNS lesions
• Electrophysiological studies: EEG, EMG, BERA
• Serological tests for intrauterine infections
• Hormonal assays, e.g. thyroid function tests
• Toxin screening: Lead, uric acid
• Cytogenetics: Karyotyping, Chromosomal microarray, WES
• Urinalysis for IEM: Ferric chloride test, AA chromatography
• Enzyme assays for neurodegenerative disorders
WES: Whole exome sequencing; AA: Amino acid Intellectual disability (ID) is defined under DSM-V criteria as follows:
1. Deficit in intellectual functions, e.g. reasoning, problemsolving, abstract thinking, academic learning, etc., with measured IQ score of a disability under the Disabilities Act, 1995 that provides for screening of children at-risk, awareness campaigns via mass media and improved perinatal care. It also provides for free education, research and setting up of special teacher's training institutes
3.7