What is intellectual disability?
Intellectual disability is characterized by a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, and to learn and apply new skills.
It results in a decreased capacity to cope independently with everyday situations (impaired social functioning), a phenomenon that begins before adulthood and has a lasting effect on development.
Intellectual disability is defined by significant limitations in:
– Intellectual functioning (reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, understanding complex ideas, learning from experience, memory, attention)
– Adaptive behavior:
- Conceptual skills (language, reading, writing, time and mathematical concepts)
- Social skills (interpersonal relationships, adherence to norms, leisure activities)
- Practical skills (self-care, daily living skills)
Intellectual disability means that:
- the person with an intellectual disability has the capacity to learn and integrate
- it is a permanent condition that appears before the age of 18
- 3% of the population lives with an intellectual disability, representing approximately 156 million people worldwide;
- 88% of them have a mild intellectual disability
- most adults with an intellectual disability have incomes below the poverty line
Intellectual disability is NOT…
- A disease
- A mental health problem
- The inability to learn, follow instructions, and thrive in different areas of life
- A child in an adult body; despite cognitive challenges, their emotional experience is significant
- A pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), such as autism
Known and unknown causes of intellectual disability
This condition can occur in anyone, in any family, regardless of race, religion, or social class. There are over 350 causes of intellectual disability, and the specific cause remains unknown in about three-quarters of cases (genetic factors, prenatal, perinatal, postnatal, psycho-affective factors).
It is IMPORTANT to avoid saying:
- “Deficient” or “handicapped”; it is better to say a person with a disability. It is important not to confuse the person with their disability.
- “Suffers from,” “is affected by,” “is struck by,” as these terms imply constant suffering. Even though some individuals may experience such feelings, a disability is a condition, not necessarily a source of suffering, and does not always require medical care.
