Heller's syndrome, also known as Secondary Disintegrative Disorder, is a degenerative brain disease. In this syndrome, the child develops normal motor and intellectual development until the age of 3 years (sometimes more) and, from a certain moment, begins to lose all the previously acquired abilities, happening to behave similar to those of autism.
The regression phase lasts from 4 to 8 weeks, where the main symptoms are difficulty using already known words, loss of autonomy, loss of intestinal control, loss of interest in social activities, isolation, loss of motor skills, running and holding objects.
The motor regression phase is the most difficult, the child usually shows signs of confusion and agitation. After this stage develops behaviors similar to those of autism: avoid visual contact, do not like to be hugged, kissed or any kind of touch, and seem to live in their own world.
The diagnosis of Heller's syndrome is done through the observation of symptoms and treated in a multimodal way, which includes remedies that reduce secondary symptoms of the disease, such as sleep disorders, social therapies and physiotherapy. These remedies also help in the attempt to reintegrate the child into the social environment and improve their motor development.
