intellectual disability

(noun)

A broad concept encompassing various intellectual deficits, including what was formerly known as mental retardation (MR), deficits too mild to properly qualify as MR, various specific conditions such as specific learning disability, and problems acquired later in life through acquired brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

Related Terms

Examples of intellectual disability in the following topics:

  • Intellectual Disabilities

    • Intellectual disabilities are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning.
    • Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome are examples of syndromic intellectual disabilities.
    • Among children, 30% to 50% of intellectual disabilities are of unknown cause.
    • Currently, there is no "cure" for an intellectual disability.
    • Down syndrome is one of the more common genetic causes of intellectual disability.

  • Intellectual Disabilities

    • An intellectual disability is a significant limitation in an individual's cognitive functioning and daily adaptive behaviors.
    • Mild: Approximately 85% of individuals with an intellectual disability fit into this category.
    • Moderate: About 10% of people with intellectual disabilities fit into this category.
    • Individuals living with intellectual disabilities face both personal and external challenges in life.
    • People with intellectual disabilities are often discriminated against and devalued by society.

  • Learning Disabilities and Special Education

    • Special-education programs are designed to help children with disabilities obtain an education equivalent to their non-disabled peers.
    • An intellectual disability, or general learning disability, is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors (such as self-help, communication, or interpersonal skills).
    • Intellectual disabilities were previously referred to as mental retardation (MR)—though this older term is being used less frequently—which was historically defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) score under 70.
    • There are different levels of intellectual disability, from mild to moderate to severe.
    • The Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) component of IDEA makes it mandatory for schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students, regardless of intellectual level and disability.

  • Genetic Basis of Intelligence and Learning

    • Approaches in cognitive genomics have been used to investigate the genetic causes for many learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, and neural disorders such as Down syndrome, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.
    • Down syndrome, for example, is a genetic syndrome marked by intellectual disability, and has implications for the ways in which children with Down syndrome learn.
    • In particular, strategies for meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities will become more informed.

  • Genetic and Environmental Impacts on Intelligence

    • Genetic causes for many learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, and neural disorders, such as Down syndrome, autism, and Alzheimer's disease have been investigated by the field of cognitive genomics, the study of genes as they relate to human cognition.
    • Down syndrome, for example, is a genetic syndrome marked by intellectual disability, and has implications for the ways in which children with Down syndrome learn.

  • Chromosomes and Genes

    • Many chromosomal abnormalities are of psychological importance, with substantial impacts on mental processes; for example, Down syndrome can cause mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

  • Classifying Abnormal Behavior: The DSM

    • Axis II: Personality disorders and/or developmental disorders (such as intellectual disabilities, formerly called mental retardation).
    • Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability of those who are diagnosed with a mental disorder.

  • Educational Psychology

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

    • Many have above-average intellectual abilities and excel in visual skills, music, math, and the arts, while others have significant disabilities and are unable to live independently.
    • It challenges the idea that such neurological differences are inherently pathological, instead asserting that differences should be recognized and respected as a social category on a par with gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability status.

  • Specific Learning Disorder

    • Dyslexia, sometimes called reading disorder, is the most common learning disability; of all students with specific learning disabilities, 70%–80% have deficits in reading.
    • The causes of learning disabilities are not well understood.
    • Learning disabilities often run in the family—children with learning disabilities are likely to have parents or other relatives with similar difficulties.
    • Learning disabilities can also be caused by head injuries, malnutrition, or toxic exposure (such as to heavy metals or pesticides).
    • Social support may also improve learning for students with learning disabilities.