Facts About Intellectual Disability

A Center for Disease Control Informational Overview

What is intellectual disability?

Intellectual disability is a term used when there are limits to a person’s ability to learn at an expected level and function in daily life. Levels of intellectual disability vary greatly. Individuals with intellectual disability might have a hard time letting others know their wants and needs, and taking care of themselves. Intellectual disability could lead to someone learning and/or developing slower than others of the same age.

Intellectual disability can be caused by a problem that starts any time before a child turns 18 years old – even before birth. It can be caused by injury, disease, or a problem in the brain. For many, the cause of intellectual disability is unknown. Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability – like Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects, and infections – happen before birth. Others happen while a baby is being born or soon after birth. Still other causes of intellectual disability do not occur until an individual is older; these might include serious head injury, stroke, or certain infections.

Reference:

Center for Disease Control. (2022, May 10). Facts about Intellectual Disability. Retrieved October 03, 2022, from Center for Disease Control

What are some of the signs of intellectual disability?

Usually, the more severe the degree of intellectual disability, the earlier the signs can be noticed. However, it might still be hard to tell how young children will be affected later in life.

There are many signs of intellectual disability. For example, individuals with intellectual disability may have delays or the difficulties with their ability to:

sit up, crawl, or walk
learn to talk, or have trouble speaking
remember things
understand social rules
see the results of their actions
solve problems

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