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 in children. Children with intellectual disabilities might have a hard time letting others know their wants and needs, and taking care of themselves. An intellectual disability could cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than other children of the same age. It could take longer for a child with an intellectual disability to learn to speak, walk, dress or eat without help, and they could have trouble learning in school.

Signs & Symptoms

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, children with intellectual disabilities may have to sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children, find it hard to remember things, and have trouble understanding social rules.

Diagnosis

intellectual disability may be suspected for many different reasons. If a baby has physical abnormalities that suggest a genetic or metabolic disorder, a variety of tests may be done to confirm the diagnosis. These include blood tests, urine tests, imaging tests to look for structural problems in the brain, or an electroencephalogram (EEG) to look for evidence of seizures.

Treatment

Certain causes of intellectual disability are preventable. The most common of these is fetal alcohol syndrome. Pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. Getting proper prenatal care, taking prenatal vitamins, and getting vaccinated against certain infectious diseases can also lower the risk that your child will be born with intellectual disabilities. Certain tests, such as ultrasound and amniocentesis, can also be performed during pregnancy to look for problems associated with intellectual disability. Although these tests may identify problems before birth, they cannot correct them.