Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia: General Information

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder marked by a breakdown of thought processes and by deficit of emotional responses.  Common symptoms are: auditory, hallucination, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, significant social or occupational dysfunction.  The onset of symptoms typically occur in young adulthood with a global life time prevalence of about 0.3 – 0.7 % (Wikipedia) 

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

Diagnosis 

To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, the suspected patient must meet the following three criteria

Diagnosis
Characteristic Symptoms	-Delusions -Hallucination -Disorganized speech caused by formal though disorder -Lack or decline in emotional responses -Lack or decline is speech -Lack or decline in motivation
Social or occupational dysfunction	-Work dysfunction -Interpersonal relation dysfunction self-care dysfunction
Significant duration	-Continuous signs of the duration persist for at least 6 months -If signs of disturbance are present for more than 6 month, the diagnose of schizophrenia is applied (Wikipedia)

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnosis_of_schizophrenia

Warning Signs

Early Signs
Physical abnormality	A blank, vacant facial expression
	Inability to smile or express emotion through facial expression
	Involuntary movements of the tongue or mouth
	Insomnia
	Awkward gait
Feelings/Emotions Inability	Feeling of nothings
	Feeling indifferent to important events
	Depersonalize
	The inability to experience joy or pleasure form activities (anhedonia)
	Hypersensitivity to criticism, insults, or hurt feelings
Changes in Behavior	Inability to form or keep relationships
	Inability to cope with minor problems
	Drug or alcohol abuse
	Frequent moves, trips or walks that lead nowhere
	Social isolation
	Catatonia-staying in the same rigid position for hours, as if in a daze
	Becoming lost in thoughts and not wanting to be disturbed with human contact
Cognitive Problem	Having the same negative thought that remain in your head but gets you nowhere, commonly about past disappointments, missed opportunities, failed relationships.
	Inability to interpret social cues, such as body language, eye contact, voice tone, and gestures.
	Trouble with verbal expression
	Engagement in new word creation
	Expression of unrelated words and sentences
	Lack of ability to set up goals
	Lack of insight, the ability to recognized that something wrong is happening to the body
	Difficult to focus attention
Delusion (Paranoid delusion)	Feeling that others are talking and looking at you.
	Thinking that someone is trying to kill you with poison and other means
	Believing that you are a person with super power, such as Jesus, God, a prophet or the Antichrist
	Thinking that people can read your mind and control your thoughts
	Thinking  there is special message embedded in random events.
	Delusion that a famous person is in love with you when in reality they are not.
Hallucination	Hearing voice that actually come from no sources
	Seeing things that do not exist in front of the eyes.

From: http://www.schizophrenia.com/earlysigns.htm

How will Schizophrenia Affect My Child?

• It may cause the patients to withdraw from friend and isolate  themselves (symptoms of Schizophrenia.net)
• It may cause the patients to try committing suicide as they suffer from the disorder.
• It may force the patients to engage in alcohol abuse, drug, usage and smoking in an attempt to relieve their symptoms and to self-medicate. (symptoms of Schizophrenia.net)
• It may cause the inability to perform normal activities such as taking care of people hygiene, driving a car or shopping, as the patients suffer from sever hallucinations and delusions.

From: http://www.symptomsofschizophrenia.net/effects-of-schizophrenia.html

Schizophrenia in The Classroom

First of all, teachers education children with Schizophrenia need to have a thorough understanding of the disorder, such as its symptom, prevalence , effects, and tests so that they can communicate effectively with the patients’ parents issues concerning education. Secondly, educators should try to reduce the stress level in the classroom at much as possible; be patient with the students, try out various method to deliver the concepts(visually, physically, orally etc), help them set realistic academic and social goals. It is very necessary to hold regular meeting with the parents to inform them of important messages such as homework due date, major school, major school events, and academic success problems and issues. Children with Schizophrenia require a lot of patience and mental support; encourage them, as much as possible. and celebrate their success with them. This will increase their self-confidence so that they are more willing to engage in activities at school. 

From: http://www.articlesforeducators.com/article.asp?aid=93

 

Schizophrenia Resources

National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada
http://www.schizophrenia.ca/

Teen Mental Health
http://teenmentalhealth.org/for-families-and-teens/schizophrenia/