🧠 Easy Read PowerPoint: Conditions Affecting the Nervous System & Mood

 

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Slide 1 — Title

Conditions Affecting the Nervous System & Mood Disorders
How the nervous system, autism, ADHD, and mood connect
(Picture idea: Nervous system + brain icon)

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Slide 2 — What You Will Learn

You will learn:
✔ What the nervous system is
✔ What autism and ADHD are
✔ How mood and emotions work
✔ What mood disorders are
✔ Ways to get support
(Icon: checklist)

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Slide 3 — What Is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is the body’s main communication system.
It sends messages from the brain to the body.
(Icon: brain + nerves)

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Slide 4 — Two Parts of the Nervous System

1. Central Nervous System — brain & spinal cord
2. Peripheral Nervous System — nerves all over the body
(Icon: diagram of brain + nerves)

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Slide 5 — Nervous System Modes

Sympathetic (Go Mode):

• Body gets ready for danger
• Heart beats fast
  Parasympathetic (Calm Mode):
• Body relaxes
• Breathing slows
  (Icon: gas pedal & brake pedal)

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Slide 6 — Autism and the Nervous System

Autism affects how the brain processes information.
This can make:
🔹 sensory feelings strong
🔹 communication harder
🔹 emotions harder to manage
(Icon: puzzle piece or brain with sparks)

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Slide 7 — ADHD and the Nervous System

ADHD affects focus and self-control.
It can make:
🔸 paying attention hard
🔸 emotions intense
🔸 waiting or stopping hard
(Icon: lightning bolt + brain)

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Slide 8 — What Is Mood?

Mood is how you feel inside.
Moods can be happy, sad, angry, calm, or stressed.
Everyone has moods.
(Icon: smiley faces)

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Slide 9 — What Is a Mood Disorder?

A mood disorder is when feelings are strong and don’t go away easily.
It affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts.
(Icon: broken heart + brain)

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Slide 10 — Examples of Mood Disorders

Depression — long period of sadness
Bipolar Disorder — very high and very low moods
(Icon: sad and high energy faces)

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Slide 11 — Signs of Mood Disorders

You may feel:
➡ Very sad for many weeks
➡ No interest in things you used to enjoy
➡ Low energy
➡ Very big mood swings
(Icon: emotion chart)

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Slide 12 — Why Mood Disorders Are Not “Bad Behavior”

Mood disorders are not a choice.
They come from how the brain works.
This means:
❗ It’s wrong to think “someone is just being mean.”
(Icon: brain vs angry face with cross)

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Slide 13 — What Causes Mood Disorders

Mood disorders can come from:
🔹 brain chemistry
🔹 stress
🔹 genetics
🔹 life experiences
(Icon: brain + DNA + stress symbol)

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Slide 14 — How Mood Disorders Connect to Autism & ADHD

People with autism or ADHD may have:
✔ Strong emotions
✔ Anxiety
✔ Feeling overwhelmed
This can look like a mood disorder too.
(Icon: overlapping circles of conditions)

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Slide 15 — Self‑Regulation Strategies

Things that help the nervous system calm:
✔ Deep breathing
✔ Slow movement
✔ Quiet space
✔ Routine
(Icon: calm breathing picture)

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Slide 16 — When to Ask for Help

Talk to a doctor or therapist if:
⭐ Mood affects daily life
⭐ You feel stuck for many weeks
⭐ You feel unsafe
(Icon: phone + therapist icon)

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Slide 17 — Support That Helps

✔ Therapy (talking support)
✔ Support groups
✔ Family support
✔ Healthy routines
(Icon: group + heart)

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Slide 18 — Summary

• The nervous system helps control feelings and reactions
• Autism and ADHD can make emotions harder to manage
• Mood disorders affect how someone feels for a long time
• Mood disorders are not bad behaviour
(Icon: summary checklist)

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Slide 19 — Reflection / Discussion

Think about these questions:

1. How did your mood feel today?
2. What helps calm you down?
3. Who can you talk to if you’re struggling?
   (Icon: thinking emoji)

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Slide 20 — Resources

Helpful links:
• World Health Organization – Mental Health
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
• Mayo Clinic – Mood Disorders
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mood-disorders
(Icon: world + book)

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