Persons who have intellectual disabilities will have limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior includes:
- conceptual skills like those used for learning including reasoning, knowledge, and memory
- social skills including social judgement, following rules, and making and keeping friends
- practical skills related to managing money, job responsibilities, and personal care.
The term developmental disabilities refers to conditions that begin during a person’s developmental years (birth through age 18), are lifelong, and impair cognitive functioning, physical capabilities, or both. Most developmental disabilities are present at birth even if they are not identified until later. Because professional definitions often list intellectual and developmental disabilities together, it is easy to think that all persons with developmental disabilities have cognitive impairment but that is not the case. Examples of developmental disabilities that may or may not include a cognitive impairment include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Seizure disorders
- Speech language disorders
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Spina bifida
As with all other disabilities, persons with IDD are not the same. Get to know the person to learn their strengths, gifts, and capabilities.
