The 5 types of functional diversity (and their associated disorders)

People with functional diversity are those who suffer from some type of problem that makes daily life difficult.

There are several types of disability and their degree of affectation is very varied. In this article we will deal the types of functional diversity, the degrees in which it occurs and some related disorders.

• Related article: "The differences between syndrome, disorder and disease"

What is functional diversity?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the term disability encompasses deficiencies, limitations and restrictions that a person may suffer.

However, in recent years the term functional diversity has been gaining more use, being considered synonymous with disability, although it is perceived as more politically correct.

Thus, in relation to the definition given by the WHO, it is understood that functional diversity implies problems that affect the body structure, limitations to carry out daily actions and difficulties in maintaining social relationships with the equals.

Before influencing in greater depth the different types of functional diversity, it is worth discussing three concepts that are encompassed within this concept:

Deficiency

Loss of a structure or function, either mental or physical.

Disability

Restriction or total absence of a certain activity.

Handicap

disadvantageous situation consequence of a deficiency or disability that affects daily life.

Types of functional diversity

In general, there is an idea that disabilities are an extremely serious and permanent condition. Nevertheless, the degree to which a person suffers from this type of condition can be very varied and can even be exceeded.

Not only blindness or intellectual problems such as Down Syndrome are examples of functional diversity. Breaking an arm, having myopia or coordination problems, among other more common situations, fall within the concept of functional diversity.

The different types of functional diversity are detailed below, explaining some examples.

1. physical or motor

Physical disability involves difficulty performing movements, which affects the ability to move, balance, manipulation of objects or even to be able to speak and breathe.

The causes behind this type of functional diversity can be varied, and there may be bone, muscle, in the formation of members or it may be the case of having suffered an accident that harmed the integrity physical.

Also, one of the causes behind this type of disability is the fact of having problems in the motor cortex, brain structure that is responsible for movements.

To support people who suffer from this type of disability, it is important to detect the barriers that may have in their day to day, such as stairs, elevators not adapted for wheelchairs or places of difficult access.

Some conditions in which motor diversity occurs:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury
• Parkinson disease
• spina bifida
• Cerebral palsy
• muscular dystonia
• achondroplasia

2. Visual

It can encompass both blindness and milder vision problems. Blindness implies that the person does not see anything at all or, at best, can perceive shapes of light. Needing to wear glasses to see is in a certain way, although it may be surprising, a type of deficiency that would fall within the concept of visual functional diversity.

The most common causes of this type of disability are usually cataracts, easily correctable eye problems such as myopia or strabismus, and eye inflammation. These types of problems tend to appear more frequently after the age of 50. Diabetes can also cause some types of blindness.

The measures to help people with visual difficulties are varied. In the milder cases there are corrective measures, such as glasses, special lights or texts with larger letters. Eye surgery can also be used.

The Braille system has been a great help for people with total or partial blindness, since it enables them to read without having to see. Thus, they can carry out tasks as common as being able to read a book, make a shopping list or have access to newspapers.

• You may be interested in: "Blindness (visual impairment): what it is, types, causes and treatment"

3. auditory

The term hearing impairment is very generic, and is used encompassing all people who have suffered some type of hearing loss. This loss can be profound, as is the general concept of deafness or deafness, or mild, such as hearing loss.

It may be the case that the person has the hearing problem in only one ear (unilateral) or in both (bilateral).

The diagnosis of hearing impairment is made by audiometry., which is a technique that allows knowing the hearing acuity of a person.

The causes behind this type of disability can be very varied, such as maternal rubella, suffering from hereditary deafness.

If this type of problem is acquired before having learned the language It can be a very detrimental factor for the person to achieve this ability orally.

People with hearing diversity can carry out daily tasks satisfactorily if they are satisfied with measures to make their lives easier. Some examples of measures that allow them to make their lives easier are hearing aids, sign language and visual aids.

4. Intellectual and psychic

Here we make a distinction between what is understood by intellectual disability from what is considered mental.

Intellectual functional diversity implies that the person has cognitive difficulties. This term has been the one that has replaced the expression mental retardation. It involves adaptation problems and learning difficulties. It can coexist with other types of disabilities, since many disorders in which there are intellectual problems also involve other types of difficulties.

Intellectual disability may mean slower development. Children can take significantly longer than their peers to talk, walk, learn literacy skills,

The factors behind intellectual problems can be very varied, from chromosomal problems, malnutrition, head trauma.

Some examples of conditions in which there is intellectual functional diversity are:

• Down's Syndrome
• fetal alcohol syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome
• Klinefelter syndrome

Regarding psychological diversity, it refers to difficulties in areas such as communication or social interactions. It differs from intellectual type diversity basically because intelligence is not affected. It affects adaptive behavior. Some examples of problems that involve this type of diversity are psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder...

5. multisensory

There are people who suffer from both hearing and visual problems. This group is called deafblind person, although it should be noted that they do not necessarily completely lack both senses.

This type of problem can already occur from birth, that is, congenital deafblindness, or it can be acquired during the first years of development, being called acquired deafblindness.

In the most serious cases, people with this type of disability have serious problems interacting with the world. outside, since neither seeing nor hearing implies that the two main ways of acquiring information from the outside world are closed.

The best-known syndrome within this type of functional diversity is Usher's. It is characterized because the child is born with hearing problems and, upon reaching adolescence, loses his sight.

Bibliographic references:

• Marchesi, A., Coll, C. and Palacios, J. (2004). Psychological development and education.: 3. Developmental disorders and special educational needs. Madrid: Publishing Alliance.
• Smith, R. J. H., BerlinC. I., Hejtmancik, J. F., Keats, B. J. B., Kimberling, W. J. R., Lewis A., Moller C. G., Pelias M. Z., Tranebjærǵ, L. (1994). Clinical diagnosis of the Usher syndromes. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 50(1), 32-38.