Disability profiles: autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, RQTH

ADHD ADHD describes a brain that regulates attention and drive differently. Focusing on what does not grab you straight away is hugely costly, whereas a fascinating subject can hold attention for hours. Attention is not absen… View the explanations

Alzheimer's and related conditions Alzheimer's disease and related conditions gradually alter memory, orientation and language. Recent memories fade first, while older memories and emotions often stay present for much longer. A person concerned may forget… View the explanations

AMD (age-related macular degeneration) AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, affects the macula, the central area of the retina used to see fine detail and look straight ahead. Peripheral vision, for its part, stays in place. So a blurred or dark patch fo… View the explanations

Amputation Amputation refers to the absence of a limb or part of a limb, present from birth or occurring after an accident, an illness or surgery. Depending on the area concerned, hand, arm, foot or leg, daily life reorganises arou… View the explanations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, affects the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. Little by little, these muscles receive the brain's commands less and less well, weaken and waste away. Walking, gripping, sp… View the explanations

Ankylosing spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of chronic inflammation that settles mainly in the spine and the pelvis. With it, the body works the opposite way to common intuition: it is often at rest that the pain intensifies, and m… View the explanations

Anxiety disorder An anxiety disorder is not a worry that is a bit too strong and that you could simply reason away. It is an inner alarm that goes off in the absence of any real danger and that occupies the body as much as the thoughts: … View the explanations

Aphasia Aphasia affects language after damage to the brain, most often following a stroke. Thinking stays whole, as do memories and intelligence, but the link between what a person wants to say and the words they produce no long… View the explanations

Apraxia Apraxia is a difficulty in organising and carrying out voluntary movements, even though strength, muscles and sensation work. The person knows perfectly well what an object is for and what they want to do, but the sequen… View the explanations

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome is a form of autism with no delay in language or learning. The person often speaks very well, is passionate about a specific field, and functions in the world, but at the cost of a social effort that no… View the explanations

Auditory processing disorder Auditory processing difficulty concerns a person whose ears work, but whose brain takes longer to make sense of the sounds it receives. The voice is perceived, the words arrive, and yet their meaning is rebuilt with a sl… View the explanations

Autism / Autism spectrum Autism is another way of perceiving and connecting. The brain sorts, ranks and feels information differently: a detail no one notices can take over the whole space, and an "obvious" social rule can stay unclear. No two a… View the explanations

Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder brings two climates into a life that alternate over weeks, sometimes months. There are the periods when energy rises to the point of filling the nights with plans, words, and drive, and the periods when … View the explanations

Blindness Blindness means the absence of vision, either total or so deep that sight can no longer be used to find one's way. It is present from birth for some people, it appears later for others, and it is not the same from one ca… View the explanations

Borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder, also called emotionally unstable personality disorder, is marked by emotions of a rare intensity and very rapid swings, sometimes within a few minutes. Joy, anger, emptiness, or the fear … View the explanations

Cancer (in treatment) Being in cancer treatment means going through a period in which the body receives demanding care, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or surgery, while continuing, as much as possible, to live one's life. This pha… View the explanations

Cataract A cataract gradually clouds the lens, the small lens behind the iris that handles focusing. As it becomes opaque, light passes through less easily and the image loses its sharpness, a bit like looking through a misted wi… View the explanations

Cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy results from an injury that occurred very early to a developing brain, before, during or shortly after birth. It mainly affects the control of movement, posture and muscle tone, to very variable degrees fr… View the explanations

Chronic fatigue Chronic fatigue refers to an exhaustion that resists rest: a full night is not enough to recharge, and the person wakes up already drained. The word fatigue is misleading, as it suggests the passing state everyone knows … View the explanations

Chronic Hepatitis C Chronic hepatitis C is an infection of the liver by a virus that settles in over the long term. It often works in silence, sometimes for years, and can harm the liver well before giving any visible sign.Tiredness is the … View the explanations

Chronic migraine Chronic migraine refers to attacks that come back a large part of the month, to the point of forming a permanent way of life rather than an isolated incident. The pain, often on one side of the head and throbbing, freque… View the explanations

Chronic pain Chronic pain is pain that sets in over time, well beyond the normal healing period, sometimes with no cause visible on examination. It stops playing its role as a warning and becomes a permanent presence to live with eve… View the explanations

Cochlear implants A cochlear implant is a device that transmits sound directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing the part of the ear that no longer works. It combines an internal part, fitted during an operation, and an external processor … View the explanations

Coeliac disease Coeliac disease is a lasting immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. With every intake, even a tiny one, the body attacks the wall of the small intestine, which ends up absorbing nutrients po… View the explanations

Colour blindness Colour blindness is a particularity in the perception of colours: certain shades, most often red and green, blend together or look almost identical. The person sees shapes, outlines and details perfectly; what changes is… View the explanations

Congenital Heart Diseases A congenital heart condition means a heart that formed differently before birth. Depending on the form, it ranges from a discreet particularity, followed only from time to time, to a heart that has required several opera… View the explanations

COPD COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a lasting breathing difficulty linked to a progressive narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Air still gets in, but comes out poorly, and every effort demands more breath. It s… View the explanations

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation that can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth down to the gut. It moves in waves: calm periods when life gets back to normal, then flare-ups when abdominal pain… View the explanations

Cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that makes the body's normally fluid secretions too thick. Mucus builds up mainly in the lungs and hampers the digestive system, which calls for regular care to keep the airways cle… View the explanations

Deafblindness Deafblindness brings together in one person a significant impairment of both sight and hearing. The two channels through which information and the link with others usually pass are affected together, which places touch a… View the explanations

Deafness Deafness covers very different realities depending on whether it is present from birth or arrives later, mild or profound. For some deaf people, particularly those who are deaf from birth, French Sign Language (LSF, Fren… View the explanations

Depression Depression is a lasting state that switches off energy, drive and the capacity to feel pleasure, sometimes for weeks or months. It is not just sadness: it is often the very desire that fades, to the point that once-enjoy… View the explanations

Diabetic retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy affects the retina, the thin membrane at the back of the eye that turns light into images. When diabetes lasts over time, the tiny blood vessels that supply the retina become fragile, sometimes leak,… View the explanations

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative disorders describe those moments when the link with oneself or with reality suddenly slips away. The person is physically there, but a part of them seems disconnected, as if behind glass, while time, sensati… View the explanations

DLD (dysphasia) DLD, developmental language disorder (formerly dysphasia), is a lasting difficulty using language, in comprehension, in expression, or both. The brain processes language differently, and each person has their own profile… View the explanations

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) Trisomy 21 comes from chromosome 21 being present in three copies instead of two. It is with the person throughout their life and influences the pace of learning, fine motor skills, and sometimes heart health or vision. … View the explanations

Dwarfism Dwarfism refers to an adult height that is clearly below average, most often of genetic origin. The person is an adult, with their job, their skills and their social life: it is the environment, designed for a standard h… View the explanations

Dysarthria Dysarthria makes speech difficult to produce because the muscles used to articulate, to give voice or to control the breath no longer respond correctly. The command comes from the brain following a neurological injury, a… View the explanations

Dyscalculia Dyscalculia makes the relationship with numbers and arithmetic lastingly difficult, while reasoning itself works very well elsewhere. Counting, comparing quantities, setting out a calculation or telling the time can stay… View the explanations

Dysgraphia Dysgraphia affects the act of writing itself. Forming letters demands constant effort, writing is slow and tiring, and its legibility varies from one line to the next, sometimes within a single word. The content is not t… View the explanations

Dyslexia Dyslexia makes decoding written text lastingly costly, even though intelligence and curiosity are intact. Letters blur together or seem to move, and reading calls on energy that most people do not need to spend. Reading … View the explanations

Dysorthographia Dysorthographia is a lasting difficulty with spelling, often associated with dyslexia. The rule can be perfectly known and the same mistake still come back, several times on the same word. It is neither laziness nor a la… View the explanations

Dyspraxia Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder, makes it hard to plan gestures. Tying laces, writing, cutting out, catching a ball: what most people do without thinking demands full concentration here. The… View the explanations

Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating) An eating disorder sets up an all-consuming relationship with food, the body, and control. Depending on the form, anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating, it can show as severe restriction, uncontrollable eating followed by g… View the explanations

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Ehlers-Danlos syndrome brings together several forms of the same genetic particularity: the tissue that supports and connects the body, what is called connective tissue, is more fragile and more stretchable than average.… View the explanations

Endometriosis Endometriosis develops when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus settles elsewhere in the belly, around the organs. With each cycle, this tissue reacts, bleeds and inflames the areas where it has taken hold, which … View the explanations

Epilepsy Epilepsy shows up through seizures that occur when the electrical activity of the brain races momentarily. Contrary to the widespread image, not all seizures are spectacular: some come down to an absence of a few seconds… View the explanations

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) covers the lasting effects of exposure to alcohol before birth on the development of the brain. It affects memory, attention, planning, managing emotions and the ability to link an … View the explanations

Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia combines diffuse pain throughout the body, intense tiredness and sleep that does not really restore. The usual tests show nothing abnormal, which makes recognition long and sometimes draining. The pain, for … View the explanations

Fragile X syndrome Fragile X syndrome is a genetic particularity linked to the X chromosome, and the most common inherited cause of intellectual development difficulties. It influences learning, language, attention and the way social conta… View the explanations

Friedreich's ataxia Friedreich's ataxia is a condition of genetic origin that progressively impairs the coordination of movements and balance. Walking loses stability, fine movements take more effort and concentration, and the voice may bec… View the explanations

Glaucoma Glaucoma is a progressive narrowing of the visual field: peripheral vision shrinks little by little, often without pain or warning sign, while central vision stays sharp for a long time. A person can therefore read, reco… View the explanations

Hard of hearing Being hard of hearing means a partial hearing loss: the person perceives sounds, but not always clearly enough to make out the words. Some frequencies are missing, often the high ones, which blurs consonants and makes tw… View the explanations

Heart failure Heart failure happens when the heart no longer sends out enough blood to keep up with the body's needs. The organ keeps beating, but with less reserve: the slightest effort, going up a flight of stairs, carrying a bag of… View the explanations

Hemiplegia Hemiplegia is a paralysis or weakness affecting one side of the body, the arm, the leg and sometimes the face. It most often follows a stroke or a brain injury, and its intensity varies a great deal from one person to th… View the explanations

HIV/AIDS HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, the defences that protect the body from infections. Managed with a daily treatment, it stays under control today: the amount of virus in the blood becomes undetectable, the … View the explanations

HPE (high emotional potential) High emotional potential (HPE) is an intense emotional sensitivity and a finely tuned empathy. Other people's emotions are perceived in detail, sometimes absorbed. It is not fragility: it is a way of functioning.What is … View the explanations

HPI (high intellectual potential) High intellectual potential (HPI) is an atypical way of thinking: fast, branching thought, hypervigilance, frequent emotional intensity. It is neither an illness nor a guarantee of academic success.What is useful to know… View the explanations

Hyperlexia Hyperlexia is an early and advanced ability to decode written words, often before age 5, beyond what is expected at that age. Comprehension, however, can remain slower and more literal.What is useful to know:Reading does… View the explanations

Intellectual developmental disorder Intellectual developmental disorder describes a way of learning and reasoning that builds more slowly and needs concrete support to take root. The person understands, remembers and progresses, but by going through exampl… View the explanations

Invisible mental health conditions Invisible mental health conditions cover inner fragilities that cannot be read on the face but weigh on daily life: pervasive anxiety, lasting low moods, looping thoughts, loss of drive. The term is deliberately broad, b… View the explanations

Kidney failure Kidney failure means kidneys that filter the blood less and less well. The waste and water the body should be getting rid of build up, which shows as stubborn fatigue, sometimes nausea and rising blood pressure. For a lo… View the explanations

Long Covid Long Covid refers to symptoms that set in or come back in waves long after a Covid infection, sometimes after a mild form. The virus itself disappeared weeks or months ago, but the body keeps running in slow motion.No tw… View the explanations

Low vision Low vision refers to sight that remains insufficient even with glasses or contact lenses. The person perceives shapes, colours, movements, but through a narrowed field, blurred outlines, blind spots or a strong sensitivi… View the explanations

Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis concerns the nervous system: in places, the sheath that surrounds the nerve fibres becomes damaged, and the messages between the brain and the rest of the body pass less well. Depending on the areas af… View the explanations

Neuromuscular diseases (myopathies, dystrophies) Neuromuscular diseases group together conditions that weaken the muscles, either because the muscle itself becomes fragile (myopathies, dystrophies), or because the nerve signal passes poorly. The common thread is streng… View the explanations

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) combines two things that feed each other: intrusive thoughts that impose themselves and cause strong anxiety, and gestures or rituals that the person carries out to bring that anxiety … View the explanations

ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a lasting pattern of defiance, opposition and anger toward authority figures. It is not an adolescent phase that drags on, nor a parenting failure: it is a real difficulty in regula… View the explanations

Osteogenesis imperfecta Osteogenesis imperfecta affects the strength of the bones, which can fracture from minimal impacts, sometimes with no identifiable cause. It is known as brittle bone disease, a telling image as long as one remembers that… View the explanations

Paraplegia Paraplegia refers to a paralysis affecting the lower limbs and, depending on the level reached, part of the trunk. It most often follows an injury to the spinal cord, of accidental origin or linked to an illness.Beyond t… View the explanations

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease changes the way the brain triggers and adjusts movements. The movement remains possible, but it starts later, smaller, more rigid, and the person often has to put in an attention that others do not ne… View the explanations

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears after an event that exceeded a person's ability to cope: an accident, an assault, a disaster, violence. Long after the real danger has gone, the body and mind keep reacting a… View the explanations

Profound multiple disability Profound multiple disability combines significant physical dependence and significant intellectual disability, most often present since early childhood. The person needs help with almost every everyday action, and rarely… View the explanations

Retinitis pigmentosa Retinitis pigmentosa covers conditions affecting the retina that progress slowly, over years. Two signs often characterise it: a marked difficulty in dim light and at night, then a gradual narrowing of the visual field, … View the explanations

Rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints in a lasting way: the system that usually protects the body turns on the joints themselves, especially those of the hands, wrists and feet. The inflammation makes them swell, warms… View the explanations

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia at times changes the way a person perceives reality and organises their thoughts. During these periods, perceptions, ideas, or sensations may impose themselves without anything external causing them, which … View the explanations

Selective mutism A person with selective mutism speaks without difficulty in certain places, often at home with loved ones, and finds themselves physically unable to make a sound in others, such as school, a shop, or in front of someone … View the explanations

Sensory hypersensitivity Sensory hypersensitivity means perceiving sounds, lights, smells or textures far more intensely than average. A noisy cafeteria, a fluorescent light, a t-shirt label can become hard to bear. The nervous system simply tak… View the explanations

Severe Asthma Severe asthma is a form of asthma that stays hard to control even with a well-followed background treatment. Where many people with asthma steady their breathing with a few puffs from an inhaler, the person concerned liv… View the explanations

Sickle cell disease Sickle cell disease is a particularity of the blood passed on from birth. Red blood cells, usually soft and round, sometimes take on a long, rigid shape that slows down circulation. What stands out most about it is how u… View the explanations

Spina bifida Spina bifida is a particularity present from birth: during development, the spine and the spinal cord did not close completely. Depending on the location and the extent, the consequences range from very discreet to a mar… View the explanations

Stuttering Stammering affects the fluency of speech, not thought or intelligence. In a person who stammers, the idea is perfectly formed, but the move into speech runs into blocks: a sound that repeats, a syllable that stretches ou… View the explanations

Subtle hearing or vision difficulties Subtle hearing or vision difficulties refer to a mild drop in hearing or sight, moderate enough to stay invisible to others, but very real for the person concerned. They hear and see, provided they make a constant effort… View the explanations

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition where the immune system, meant to defend the body, turns against its own organs: the skin, joints, kidneys or heart can be affected, in combinations that vary a great deal from… View the explanations

Tetraplegia Tetraplegia refers to a paralysis affecting all four limbs, following a high injury to the spinal cord. Depending on the level affected, the arms, the legs and sometimes part of the trunk no longer respond to the usual c… View the explanations

Tinnitus Tinnitus is sounds perceived in the absence of any external source: a ringing, a buzzing, a hissing, or a pulsing that only the person concerned hears. It can be continuous or intermittent, in one ear or both, more or le… View the explanations

Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome shows up through tics, involuntary movements or sounds that arise without one really being able to hold them back. These tics evolve over time: they change form, intensify at certain periods and ease of… View the explanations

Traumatic brain injury Traumatic brain injury refers to the lasting consequences of an impact to the head, during an accident, a fall or a sudden event. Once the injury is healed, the person may seem completely recovered, while their way of th… View the explanations

Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition: the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, the hormone that lets sugar enter the cells. Without insulin supplied from outside, sugar builds up in t… View the explanations

Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes sets in when the body no longer uses the insulin it produces properly, which is called insulin resistance. Sugar stays in the blood instead of feeding the cells, and ends up tiring the blood vessels, the … View the explanations

Ulcerative colitis Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation that affects the large intestine and the rectum. It shows up through flare-ups, with sometimes painful diarrhoea, an urgent need to go to the toilet and marked tiredness, inte… View the explanations

Word-finding difficulty Dysnomia affects access to the word, not knowledge of it. The person recognises the object perfectly, knows what it is for, has almost the whole sentence in mind, but the exact name stays blocked at the very last second.… View the explanations

Disabilities