Glossary

Person who provides continuous assistance to a family member or acquaintance who is not self-sufficient due to disability, chronic illness, old age or other disabling conditions. The caregiver can be formal (paid professional) or informal (family member, friend, volunteer).

In Italy, about 7 million people perform informal caregiving activities, often with significant impacts on work, social life and psychophysical health. Law 104/1992 recognizes some rights for family caregivers, such as paid work leave. Caregivers need support through: specific training, self-help groups, respite care services, psychological counseling. Caregiver burden can cause stress, anxiety, depression and health problems. It is essential to recognize the social and economic value of caregiving and ensure adequate support.

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Group of permanent disorders of movement and posture development, caused by non-progressive lesions of the developing brain (fetal, perinatal period or first years of life). Main cause of childhood motor disability, with prevalence of 2-3 cases per 1000 live births. Causes: perinatal asphyxia, prematurity, cerebral hemorrhages, infections, traumas, malformations.

Classification by distribution: hemiplegia (one side), diplegia (predominantly lower limbs), tetraplegia (all four limbs). By motor type: spastic (muscle hypertonia), dyskinetic (involuntary movements), ataxic (balance and coordination disorders), mixed. Manifestations: motor development delay, posture disorders, difficult or absent walking. Frequent associated disorders: epilepsy, cognitive deficits, sensory disorders, feeding and language difficulties. Multidisciplinary treatment: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, orthopedics, functional neurosurgery, drugs (antispastics, botulinum toxin). Early and continuous intervention improves functional outcomes and quality of life.

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Medical specialization that deals with prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological, neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders of developmental age (0-18 years). Areas of competence: neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, ADHD, intellectual disability), epilepsy, infantile cerebral palsy, specific learning disorders (SLD), language disorders, motor deficits, psychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, eating disorders), genetic syndromes with neurological involvement.

The child neuropsychiatrist coordinates a multidisciplinary team: psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, educators. Diagnostic tools: neuropsychological assessment, EEG, neuroimaging, genetic tests. Interventions: pharmacological therapies, cognitive and motor rehabilitation, psychological support, parent training. ASL territorial services offer free child neuropsychiatry. Early diagnosis is crucial to: activate timely interventions, certifications for school support (Law 104/1992, Law 170/2010), personalized rehabilitation projects. Continuous follow-up monitors evolution and adapts treatments.

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