What does transition planning for children with disabilities entail?

It’s all but natural that as parents witness their child’s growth and anticipate milestones, they also wonder whether their child’s development is normal and on track. Babies should reach developmental milestones like rolling over, talking, sitting, and walking at a given time. However, if parents do notice potential problems like prolonged delays, it is crucial that they know immediately that their baby doesn’t have any actual delay, says behavioral medicine expert Curtis Cripe, Ph. D.

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While it can be stressful to worry about it, early intervention is key if a child indeed has some disability. Many kids will outgrow mild delays, but others will just fall behind if parents don’t do anything. The best recourse is for parents to talk immediately with their child’s pediatrician. They can then refer the child for an evaluation. Parents should anticipate that the doctor will expect them to be able to describe in detail their child’s behavior both at home and in school.

Parents shouldn’t just abide by a wait-and-see attitude. To be able to truly recognize the signs of developmental delays, they should monitor and communicate exactly what they notice to the doctor, who will need detailed information on various factors including parenting style and structure at home.

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Even if certain issues have already been ruled out, parents need to maintain regular dialogue with their child’s doctor. Again, the doctor will not know the child the way parents do. Parents should keep a record of all developmental milestones and, if they notice a problem, track how long it has been going on. The bottom line is to allow their child’s doctor to come up with both an assessment and recommendation that are specific to the child, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., is the director of research and development of neuroengineering services provider NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and wrote two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. For related posts, visit this blog.

What are degenerative disorders?

First off, it must be established that degenerative disorders are part of the canopy term developmental disability. These begin during the developmental period and often lasts an entire lifetime, significantly affecting a person’s everyday functioning, explains neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe.

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The Center for Disease Control or CDC defines developmental disabilities as a group of conditions resulting from impairments in a person’s physical, language, behavior, and learning areas. Some common examples are Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD, and vision impairment.

A degenerative disorder or disease is the result of a continuous process of deteriorating cells, affecting our organs and tissues. In neurology, cells affected by neurodegenerative diseases in one’s central nervous system will eventually cease from working. Alzheimer’s disease is a good example of this condition. Aside from neurodegenerative diseases, the other common degenerative disease types are neoplastic (like cancer) and those that affect one’s circulatory system (e.g., coronary artery disease).

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Again, while some are connected to aging and lifestyle choices, some degenerative disorders are partially or mainly genetic in nature (like Huntington’s disease). It could also be that the disease is caused by exposure to chemicals, viruses, and poison. In a nutshell, depending on the specific defect, degenerative disorders can lead to sensory, mental, and physical issues, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the director of research and development at the NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and wrote two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. For similar posts, visit thisblog.

Common causes of developmental disabilities in children

Developmental disabilities involve a wide array of disorders that lead to intellectual and physical impairments, speech disorders, and medical conditions. And while such disabilities often get diagnosed at birth, certain disorders may not be identified until a child turns three to six years old, explains neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe.

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 While some developmental disabilities may be mild, some may be severe and require the full attention of parents and neurologists. The most common ones are autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Tourette syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, spina bifida, Velocardiofacial syndrome, syndromes related to drug use and fetal alcohol, and chromosome abnormalities.

Doctors may refer to developmental disabilities as developmental delays, but this umbrella term can be misleading. A child with a developmental disability may be the result of a genetic disorder, and it isn’t possible to grow out of it if such is the case. It is, of course, still possible to get treatment if, say, a child only exhibits a mild version of a disability. But this entails a great amount of therapy.

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Therapy will allow a child to function at age level for a certain period, but remember that their level of functioning, as well as their social and career success, will largely depend upon the type and severity of the disability, Curtis Cripe adds. As children with developmental disabilities turn into adults, much depends upon the quality of therapy they’ve had as children, as well as existing social network and support.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., heads research and development at the NTL Group, which works with neuroengineering technology to treat addiction, head injury (TBI), depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and neurodevelopmental delays in children with learning disorders. Visit this blogfor related posts.

The common speech disorders affecting learning

Communication plays a vital role in facilitating learning in children. As early as 6 months, a baby starts communicating. From that point, communication will be an invaluable tool for learning as the child progresses in age.

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 This is why speech disorders need to be addressed, as they have a significant impact on learning, emphasizes Dr. Curtis Cripe, a renowned authority in neuroengineering and neuropathy.

A common example of a speech disorder is apraxia of speech. This disorder occurs when speech signals are lost or obscured during their transmission to the brain. Children with apraxia of speech know what they want to say but are unable to articulate. This creates a clear hindrance to communication as parents get very limited feedback from their children. At the same time, these children can experience distress from not being understood by their parents.

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Another speech disorder is speech language delay, which manifests in several signs parents can look out for. These include slower than average speech development, inability to form phrases or sentences, incorrect usage of words, and difficulty in understanding words. Speech language delay hinders the ability of children to follow simple instructions in school. It can also affect their ability to read, write, and spell.

According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, parents should constantly monitor their children during their developmental stages and be particularly observant about developmental milestones. Speech disorders could pose some difficulties, but there are methods such as therapy which can mitigate them and prioritize children’s needs.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in neuroengineering programs aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders connected to head injury, depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and learning disorders. For more reads on neurological disorders, visit this website.

How substance abuse rewires the brain

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For a long time, history had judged addiction as a failure in morals. Thankfully, the rise of more scientific and behavioral approaches to the handling and treatment of substance abuse has overridden the pervading notions that moral and religious reeducation was enough. These likewise made it clear that neuroscience is key in understanding addiction, says Dr. Curtis Cripe of the NTL Group.


Scientists now know that chronic exposure to and abuse of drugs alter the brain, particularly leading to the so-called fragile X mental retardation protein or FMRP. This very protein is also the leading cause of intellectual disability and autism. Researchers are now keen on looking further at brain molecules that control the development of drug addiction with the hope of discovering new treatment methods.

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FMRP is particularly an issue for those repeatedly exposed to cocaine, as the drug uses the protein to create changes in the brain that are connected to addiction-related behaviors. It must be noted that while some experiences modify the brain by allowing one to remember and learn, alterations caused by substance abuse are harmful, end up reinforcing addictive behaviors.

It is the conditioned brain that itself makes addiction recovery difficult, and those affected by chronic drug use will struggle to combat a brain that has been rewired to accommodate addiction. But to beat it, the very mechanisms that have caused it must be used, consciously working rigorously on the behaviors to live more healthily, adds Curtis Cripe. It will take time and much effort to rehab the drug-conditioned brain, but it must nonetheless be done.

Dr. Curtis Cripe has behind him a diverse multidisciplinary professional and academic background, having worked in aerospace, engineering, software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, and child neurodevelopment. For similar posts, visit this blog.

What are the potential causes of speech disabilities?

We must be aware of the causes of developmental delays among children, if only to understand the implications of these in mental, physical and emotional growth. Enabling our children to catch up quickly is a matter of detecting delays and providing early treatment.

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One of the most common types and manifestations of developmental issues is speech delay. This refers to a noticeable lag in verbal expression, in the formation of words. It must be noted that language is a broader system for giving and receiving information and is therefore different from speech, as the former includes gestures.


There are many possible causes of both speech and language delays, which could be rooted in the emotional, mental, and physical. A cause could be an inherent learning disability. It could also be that the child has autism spectrum disorders, which refer to various neurological issues impairing both communication and cognitive skills, as well as the ability for social interaction.

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Speech disability may be due to a disorder called dysarthria, in which the child has problems with the muscles controlling his or her speech. This is a concern that should be detected by a language speech pathologist. More situational causes of the delay include early exposure to more than one language, hearing loss after an unchecked ear infection, and the trauma from child neglect or child abuse.

Dr. Curtis Cripe heads research and development at the NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and written two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. Follow this Twitter page for more posts and updates related to neurology.

Common Causes Of Forgetfulness

Most people associate forgetfulness or memory loss with the stereotype of age and the associated onset of dementia or the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease. But there’s more to forgetfulness than growing old. And the happy news is that often the causes of memory loss are treatable.

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One is the use of medications. Certain blood pressure pills, painkillers, and antidepressants can cause forgetfulness because they keep one sedated or to control mood swings. The best advice here is to talk to your doctor if you feel that a particular drug is causing you to forget things so that you can be prescribed an alternative.

The second most common cause is general lack of sleep, which can be a consequence of anxiety. These go hand-n-hand in leading to poor memory. The brain ceases to function properly when one is sleepless, leading to poor decision-making and an inability to focus and recall. In the same vein, too much worrying will lead to blocking the formation of new memories.

Drinking alcohol is also a prime reason for forgetfulness, particularly short-term memory loss. Those who drink too much will have moments when they “blacked out” and can’t remember how they even got home. Sometimes alcohol can interfere with the ability to recall even when the effects have worn off.

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Finally, the serious disorder that is depression may cause people to forget. If you are having trouble with finding pleasure in things you’d normally enjoy, or feeling less sociable and having not much drive, you’d feel detached and unable to focus on new experiences and thoughts. Seek immediate help from a psychologist if the symptoms are present.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the director of research and development for the NTL Group. He has published two peer-reviewed papers and wrote two book chapters on neurotherapy and neuroengineering. More insights on neurology here .