Often, caregivers can have issues identifying the difference between a neurological impairment and a challenging behavior contributed by an intellectual or developmental disability or psychiatric disorder. This issue has been prevalent in healthcare, particularly in residential and programmatic settings that provide services to people diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder.
Neurological impairment occurs when there is damage to the nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Damage to either or both areas can affect how the brain processes information and transfers it to the rest of the body. Some examples of neurological impairments include Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Epilepsy.
A neurobehavioral disorder or symptoms of challenging behavior is a term used to describe a group of diagnoses related to problematic encounters that impact a person’s quality of life and the people around them. Some examples of challenging behaviors are physical aggression, self-injurious behavior, and verbal abuse. These negative issues can become a detriment and hardship to caregivers and healthcare providers, affecting development. Both the impairment and disorder can be abnormalities; therefore, without education, it can be difficult to recognize symptoms of Dementia instead of incidents of verbal aggression. Neurobehavioral disorders can also escalate with the presence or comorbidity of psychiatric disorders such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder that disturb a person’s emotional state.
Even though both classifications weaken the brain, a person can suffer significant side effects if misdiagnosed. For example, suppose an aging person starts to experience memory loss, which impacts their mood and can lead to behavior challenges. However, the person’s family or caregivers must advocate for immediate treatment and healthcare to provide consistent follow-up care. If the person is not diagnosed correctly, their medication regimen may be inappropriately increased or prescribed with new medication with harmful side effects.
The approach should be that everyone involved in the patient’s life must do their due diligence in implementing early intervention and education about possible diagnoses, then rule out other diagnoses based on the criteria, treatment options, and continued preventive care. Even though it can be frustrating to provide care for a person who is declining in mental or physical health, the best approach is to be able to recognize and mitigate symptoms as quickly as possible. Ultimately, the main objective is to assist the patient in getting the appropriate treatment, which involves intensive collaboration.
