Intellectual disability facts for kids

Intellectual disability (also known as intellectual developmental disability) is a condition that affects how a person's brain develops and works. It usually starts when someone is very young, often before they are born or during early childhood. This condition can make it harder for people to learn, understand, and do everyday tasks.

What is Intellectual Disability?

Intellectual disability means a person has a lower than average intelligence quotient (IQ) score, usually below 70. It also means they have trouble with skills needed for daily life. These skills are called "adaptive behaviors."

There are two main types of intellectual disability:

• Syndromic intellectual disability: This happens when the intellectual disability is part of another medical condition, like Down syndrome.
• Non-syndromic intellectual disability: This means the intellectual disability is not linked to another specific medical condition.

Intellectual disability can also be described by how much support a person needs:

• Mild intellectual disability: This is the most common type. People with mild intellectual disability can often live quite independently. They might need some help with complex tasks, like managing money.
• Moderate intellectual disability: People with moderate intellectual disability have an IQ between 40 and 55. They usually need more support with daily living. However, they can learn many basic tasks and skills.
• Severe intellectual disability: People with severe intellectual disability need a lot of help with most daily activities. They can learn simple things but require ongoing support.

How Does Intellectual Disability Appear?

The signs of intellectual disability are mostly about how a person learns and behaves. People with intellectual disability might show some or all of these signs:

• They might learn to crawl, walk, or talk later than other children.
• They may have trouble remembering things they have learned.
• They might find it hard to learn how to act in different public places.
• Solving problems or figuring things out can be difficult for them.
• They may learn self-care skills, like getting dressed, more slowly.
• They might not always know when it's not okay to say or do something.

Children with intellectual disability learn at a slower pace than other children. They may need special ways of being taught to help them remember new information. However, most children with intellectual disabilities can learn important skills. Mild intellectual disability might not be noticed until a child starts school. More noticeable forms, like moderate or severe intellectual disability, can often be seen before a child begins school.

What Causes Intellectual Disability?

The causes of intellectual disability often begin in childhood, or are due to genetic differences. Sometimes, the exact cause of a child's intellectual disability is not known. This happens in about one-third to one-half of cases.

Some common known causes include:

• Genetic differences: Problems with genes can cause intellectual disability. Down syndrome is a well-known example where an extra chromosome leads to intellectual disability.
• Problems during pregnancy: If something affects the fetus (unborn baby) during pregnancy, it can lead to intellectual disability. Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by alcohol use during pregnancy, is an example.
• Problems during birth: If a baby has problems during birth, such as not getting enough oxygen, it can harm the brain. This can lead to intellectual disability later on.
• Illnesses and harmful substances: Some serious illnesses, like meningitis, can cause intellectual disability if not treated properly. Also, being exposed to poisonous materials like lead or mercury can harm the brain and cause intellectual disability.
• Lack of iodine: In some parts of the world, not getting enough iodine can lead to health problems, including intellectual disability. Adding iodine to salt is a common way to prevent this.
• Poor nutrition: In places where food is scarce, a lack of proper nutrition over time can also cause intellectual disability.

It is important to know that intellectual disability is different from dementia. With dementia, people forget skills they once had. People with an intellectual disability, however, never learned those skills in the first place.

How is Intellectual Disability Diagnosed?

Doctors use specific guidelines to diagnose intellectual disability. For someone to be diagnosed, three things must be true:

1. Low IQ score: The person must have a low intelligence quotient (IQ) score, usually below 70. This score is found by taking an IQ test. 2. Trouble with daily activities: The person must have difficulty in more than one area of normal daily activities. These are called "adaptive behaviors." To check this, a doctor will talk to people who know the child well, like parents or teachers. Examples of adaptive behaviors include: * Getting dressed by themselves. * Using the bathroom properly. * Eating and drinking independently. * Being able to have a conversation. * Acting appropriately in different social situations. 3. Issues starting in childhood: The difficulties must have started when the person was a child or teenager (adolescence). If the problems begin later in life, they are likely caused by a different brain condition, not intellectual disability.

Support and Management

Currently, there is no cure for intellectual disability. However, people with intellectual disability can learn many skills and live fulfilling lives if they receive enough support and good teaching. Many resources are available to help people with intellectual disabilities. These places can offer care, help them find jobs, find their own homes, or support them in raising their own children.

There are different types of support that can help people with intellectual disability and their families:

• Psychosocial treatment: This is often for very young children. It helps them learn basic skills and encourages learning throughout their lives.
• Behavioral treatment: This type of support helps young people and adults. It focuses on teaching language skills and social skills, like sharing or following instructions.
• Cognitive-behavioral treatment: This combines different approaches. It helps children with intellectual disability learn new skills and also learn how to plan ahead.
• Family-oriented help: This support focuses on teaching family members how to best help the person in their family who has an intellectual disability.

Many people with intellectual disability also have other health conditions. They might be given specific medicines for these conditions. For example, children with autism who also have developmental delays might use certain medications to help with behavior. It is important to carefully watch how these medicines affect people with intellectual disabilities. Sometimes, side effects can happen and might be mistaken for new behavior problems.

Intellectual Disability and Society

Sadly, people with intellectual disability are sometimes treated unfairly by others. They might not be allowed to make choices about their own lives and may not be seen as a full part of society. Sometimes, the people who are supposed to care for them are the ones who treat them badly.

The dignity and human rights of people with intellectual disability are protected by laws and agreements, like the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These ensure they have the same rights as everyone else, including people without disabilities.

Images for kids

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  Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability.

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  Special Olympics USA team in July 2019

See also

In Spanish: Discapacidad intelectual para niños