Hi! I am visiting family in Iran and in the country side came across a cousin of mine that has a disorder, that I would love to find out more about in an effort to help him. I believe he has some sort of down syndrome as his speech is not proper, as well as slow in a lot of areas. What scares me even more is he has some sort of really big bulge coming out from the back of his neck, kind of seems like extension of the spine, its not right whatever it is. 
I was hoping that someone can recognize these issues and  point me in the right direction so at least we could get this guy some sort of treatment to make his life better. I thank yo advance for your consideration! 

Hi, I have no idea what healthcare access is like in Iran, but I imagine options are more sparse in the country side. The title of physcian speaclties is also likely to change by country, even in cases of shared language. That being said, in America, Intellectual Disabilities can be assessed by a mental health professional, likely a Psychiatrist. Neuropsychological Testing could be administered by a Neuropsychologist, generally there may be a few different specialties ruled out so he is not misdiagnosed. Sometimes various cognitive or developmental issues can appear to be classic intellectual disabilities, when they actually aren't. In America people with these conditions can easily be misdiagnosed without due diligence.

 

I have no way of knowing what that neck bump is from a picture, but I am not aware of any neck condition where the bone drifts off in that way, as his head appears in normal positioning. Could be a growth or severe acne. There is a condition called buffalo hump, aka a dorsocervical fat pad. I'm unsure if they can manifest in that shape. Since there are so many directions that can likely be ruled out by a physical exam, I'd send him to a primary care doctor to save time. Otherwise he can go to an orthopedic to rule out spine issues, oncologist to rule out cancerous-tumor, dermatologist for acne, and/or get radiology imgaing. But primary would be best to coordinate everything.

 

I'm guessing the hardest part would be locating & affording the right doctor. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the area but I would talk about Iran's healthcare options with your other family to develop a plan, especially those that currently live near or with him. If this is not available I'm sure there is public information online, but then you would need a way to support your cousin to actually get to the appointments, since it sounds as you do not live there. 

 

I'm hoping you've managed to find help since posting this.