Last week, I started a new blog series all about invisible disabilities and today I am back to share Part Two. To review, an invisible disability is an umbrella term used to describe any disability that is not immediately apparent to another person and invisible disabilities make up 90% of all disabilities. It is estimated that approximately 10% of people in the United States has an invisible disability. For more background information, you can read Part One here.

Last week, I shared about 3 common invisible disabilities - lupus, epilepsy, and learning disabilities. To read about these invisible disabilities, click here. I am continuing this series by sharing about 3 more invisible disabilities (and how they affect those living with them) today.

1. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

   • FASDs are a group of three conditions that occur when a mother consumes alcohol while pregnant. According to the CDC, a person usually has characteristics from each of the following three areas:

     • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) - this is the most severe of the three conditions and results in difficulties with the central nervous system, minor facial features and delayed growth ; may also result in difficulty with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision/hearing

     • Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) - results in possible intellectual disabilities, problems with behavior and learning, and difficulty in school

     • Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD) - results in birth defects, including issues with the heart, kidneys, bones, hearing, or a mixture of these

   • FASD is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific test that can confirm it. A diagnosis is based on admitted prenatal alcohol exposure (or suspicion of, based on the following): central nervous system difficulties, below average height/weight, or abnormal facial features. There is no cure for FASD, but early intervention has proven to greatly improve a child’s development.

   • FASD affects children in a variety of ways, beginning with early development of motor and speech skills. It continues to affect academic success, both because of intellectual difficulties, as well as learning difficulties. FASD can also have an impact on behavior and social skills, which can continue to affect people long after they have finished school.

2. Deafness

   • NOTE: Deafness/hearing loss is not always an invisible disability. If a person wears hearing aids or cochlear implants, it is no longer an invisible disability; however many deaf people do not use aids/implants, in which case, their disability is not visible. It’s also important to understand that not every deaf person identifies as disabled.

   • There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed:

     • Conductive loss occurs when sound has trouble passing through the outer or middle ear. Some common causes of conductive hearing loss are: fluid in the middle ear, ear infection, a hole in the eardrum, a deformed outer ear or ear canal, or even earwax. Conductive hearing loss can be permanent or temporary and can be treated in a variety of ways, including medicine, surgery, or hearing aids.

     • Sensorineural loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve, which takes sound to the brain. Some common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are: illness, such as meningitis, ototoxic drugs (drugs that are toxic to the ear), genetics, and aging. Sensorineural hearing loss is almost always permanent and cannot usually be treated via medicine or surgery. Cochlear implants are also a possible treatment option in some cases.

     • Mixed hearing loss occurs when there is both conductive and sensorineural loss.

   • Before I go any further, I think it’s worth mentioning that deafness does NOT need to be treated. Many people, especially those in Deaf communities, do not view deafness as something to be “cured” or “treated.” This also means that the impact that deafness has on daily life also varies. For example, a deaf person in a Deaf community, where most people use American Sign Language, may not feel very affected by their hearing loss. On the other hand, a deaf person with hearing family members in a hearing community may feel greatly affected by their hearing loss as they navigate daily life.

3. Traumatic Brain Injury

   • According to the CDC, a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when normal brain function is disrupted due to a bump, jolt or blow to the head. TBIs range in severity from mild (also called a concussion) to severe. Mild TBIs may result in a brief period of unconsciousness, dizziness, or headache and severe TBIs may result in an extended period of unconsciousness (coma) or memory loss.

   • The most common causes of TBIs are (in order): falls, car accidents, being struck by/against an object, and intentional self-harm. TBIs can result in hospitalization, long term skilled nursing, or death. Symptoms fall into four categories:

     • physical - such as headache, nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, tiredness, dizziness

     • emotional/mood - such as irritability, sadness, anxiety

     • sleep - such as sleeping more, sleeping less, or insomnia

     • thinking/remembering - such as a fuzzy/foggy feeling, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering information

   • The extent to which a TBI affects daily life is directly related to the severity of the TBI. A person with a mild TBI may feel relatively unaffected, whereas a person with a severe TBI may require constant assistance. A person may need help completing everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping or scheduling appointments, and may even require care from a medical professional or family member to complete basic personal hygiene tasks, such as taking a bath or getting dressed.

If you have one of these disabilities, I hope you found this information to be accurate and something you would share with family and friends to help them better understand your disability. If you do not have one of these disabilities, I hope this helped you gain greater perspective and understanding of invisible disabilities and how they affect people living with them.

If you missed Part One, you can find it here. I will be finishing this series with a Part Three and sharing three more invisible disabilities. So far, I’ve covered lupus, epilepsy, learning disabilities, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, hearing loss and traumatic brain injuries. If you’d like me to share about something specific in my final post, make sure to leave a comment below!