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What are Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Handout (PDF) (Word)

Intellectual and developmental disabilities are disorders that are traditionally present at birth and that affect the trajectory of an individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development. Many of these conditions affect multiple body parts or systems.

 

An intellectual disability occurs before a child reaches the age of 18 and is characterized by problems with both intellectual functioning – which includes the ability to learn, reason, problem-solve, and other skills – and adaptive behavior, which includes everyday social and life skills.

 

The term “developmental disabilities” is a broader category of often lifelong disability that can be intellectual, physical, or both. “IDD” is the term often used to describe instances in which an intellectual disability and other disabilities exists.

 

Examples of developmental disabilities include autism, behavior disorders, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, intellectual disabilities, and spina bifida.

Under federal law, developmental disability means a sever, chronic disability of an individual that:

  • Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments;
  • Is manifested before the age of 22;
  • Is likely to continue indefinitely;
  • Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity:
    • Self-care
    • Receptive and expressive language
    • Learning
    • Mobility
    • Self-direction
    • Capacity for independent living
    • Economic self-sufficiency
  • Reflects an individual’s need for services, supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
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