Intellectual+Disability

//Intellectual disability// is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Children with intellectual disabilities (sometimes called //cognitive disabilities// or //mental retardation//) may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They //will// learn, but it will take them longer. There may be some things they cannot learn

What Causes an Intellectual Disability?
Doctors have found many causes of intellectual disabilities. The most common are: An intellectual disability is not a disease. You can’t catch an intellectual disability from anyone. It’s also not a type of mental illness, like depression. There is no cure for intellectual disabilities. However, most children with an intellectual disability can learn to do many things. It just takes them more time and effort than other children.
 * //**Genetic conditions**//. Sometimes an intellectual disability is caused by abnormal genes inherited from parents, errors when genes combine, or other reasons. Examples of genetic conditions are Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and phenylketonuria (PKU).
 * **//Problems during pregnancy//**. An intellectual disability can result when the baby does not develop inside the mother properly. For example, there may be a problem with the way the baby’s cells divide as it grows. A woman who drinks alcohol or gets an infection like rubella during pregnancy may also have a baby with an intellectual disability.
 * **//Problems at birth.//** If a baby has problems during labor and birth, such as not getting enough oxygen, he or she may have an intellectual disability.
 * **//Health problems.//** Diseases like whooping cough, the measles, or meningitis can cause intellectual disabilities. They can also be caused by extreme malnutrition (not eating right), not getting enough medical care, or by being exposed to poisons like lead or mercury.

How Common are Intellectual Disabilities?
Intellectual disability is the most common developmental disability. Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability. More than 545,000 children (ages 6-21) have some level of intellectual disability and receive special education services in public school under this category in IDEA, the nation’s special education law. In fact, 1 in every 10 children who need special education have some form of intellectual disability. What are the Signs of Intellectual Disability? There are many signs of an intellectual disability. For example, children with an intellectual disability may:
 * sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children;
 * learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking,
 * find it hard to remember things,
 * not understand how to pay for things,
 * have trouble understanding social rules,
 * have trouble seeing the consequences of their actions,
 * have trouble solving problems, and/or
 * have trouble thinking logically.

How are Intellectual Disabilities Diagnosed?
Intellectual disabilities are diagnosed by looking at two main things. These are: //**Intellectual functioning,**// or IQ, is usually measured by a test called an IQ test. The average score is 100. People scoring below 70 to 75 are thought to have an intellectual disability. To measure **//adaptive behavior//**, professionals look at what a child can do in comparison to other children of his or her age. Certain skills are important to adaptive behavior. These are: []
 * the ability of a person’s brain to learn, think, solve problems, and make sense of the world (called //IQ// or //intellectual functioning//); and
 * whether the person has the skills he or she needs to live independently (called //adaptive behavior//, or //adaptive functioning//).
 * daily living skills, such as getting dressed, going to the bathroom, and feeding one’s self;
 * communication skills, such as understanding what is said and being able to answer;
 * social skills with peers, family members, adults, and others.