Intellectual Disability (formerly referred to as Mental Retardation) is a wide-ranging diagnostic term. It falls under the wider umbrella of Developmental Disability as well; Developmental Disability also includes Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is distinguished by:
- a combination of decreased IQ score (as determined via formalized IQ testing), and
- difficulty in completing two or more functional, adaptive daily-life tasks independently.
The IQ range for Intellectual Disability is between 70-75 or below, and onset of intellectual disability takes place before a person reaches 18 years of age. According to The Arc, between one and three percent of all Americans have a diagnosed intellectual disability.
People with Intellectual Disabilities are certainly capable of learning new skills, but often need additional time, support and coaching in order to attain mastery of a new skill or task. Additionally, people with intellectual disabilities sometimes have exceptional gifts or talents in a specific area. This can lead others to have greater expectations, and expect that the person has similar skills in other areas. It’s important to give each person the support they need in their areas of difficulty, while celebrating their areas of strength. As a parent or friend, you can encourage independence by focusing on what your loved one is able to do, and respectfully offering for support where needed.
Causes of Intellectual Disability include, but are not limited to:
- Fragile X Syndrome
- Down Syndrome
- Birth defects that affect brain development
- Trauma or exposure to environmental toxins pre-delivery
- Challenging delivery (especially if baby is deprived of oxygen)
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Asphyxia
- Injury (i.e., physical trauma from an accident; also referred to as Acquired Brain Injury)
- Certain genetic conditions (Cri-du-chat syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome)
- Certain imbalances and physical conditions (i.e., biochemical imbalance)
- Serious infections
As the Arc of US website states, “The major differences [between individuals with intellectual disability] are in the age of onset, the severity of limitations, and the fact that a person with a developmental disability definition may or may not have a low I.Q.”
The number of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities has risen significantly in the last 5 years. This has posed a unique series of challenges for lawmakers (as they seek to fund care facilities and education programs), educators (as they seek to integrate students with disabilities into their classrooms) and parents (as they love and care for their children and plan for their futures.) However, significant gains in social acceptance and understanding have been made as well. For example, given the negative connotations behind the term ‘Retardation’, Intellectual Disability has become the current term of choice. Mental Retardation is being phased out of both diagnostic usage and vernacular use. President Obama recently signed ‘Rosa’s Law’, and as such, federal statues will use the term Intellectual Disability in lieu of Mental Retardation.
In the photograph above, members of the L’Arche community wash one another’s feet as they reenact the Last Supper. (L’Arche is a non-profit, faith-based organization that creates homes where people with and without disabilities live together in community.)