WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY?
Intellectual Disability, formerly known as “Mental Retardation,” is a disorder with onset during the developmental period and before 18 years of age. It includes intellectual deficits and difficulty functioning in daily life in areas such as communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, self-direction, academics, work, leisure, health, and safety. Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas of intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviours.There are several degrees of intellectual disability which ranges from mild, moderate to severe and profound.
Intellectual functioning, also called intelligence, refers to general mental capacity, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, and so on.IQ (intelligence quotient) is measured by an IQ test. The average IQ is 100. A person is considered intellectually disabled if he or she has an IQ of less than 70 to 75.
Adaptive behaviours are skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care of oneself.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Every person is unique, with their own personality and areas of ability and areas of difficulty.Signs of intellectual disability can range from mild to severe.
WHY IS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY CAUSED?
Intellectual disability affects about 1% to 3% of the population. Causes of intellectual disability can include:
WHO IS AT THE RISK?
The risk of intellectual disability is higher when:
HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
Three things factor into the diagnosis of intellectual disability:
HOW IS IT MANAGED?
Goal of treatment is to develop the person's potential to the fullest.
A child with ID is best cared for by a multidisciplinary team consisting of the primary care doctor, social workers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, neurologists or developmental paediatricians, psychologists, nutritionists, educators; and others.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR?
. If you fear that your child may be facing a problem and you observe developmental, communication problems and issues with self-care please visit a health professional.
WHERE CAN THEY BE TAKEN CARE OF?
At HCRA, The full array of a child's strengths and weaknesses are examined for determining what kind of support is needed. Factors such as physical disabilities, personality problems, mental illness, and interpersonal skills are all taken into consideration while planning a comprehensive management plan for the condition. Therefore, special educators, speech therapists, psychologist, occupational therapists are all involved in the management and treatment plan.