Intellectual disability, initially known as mental retardation, refers to impairment in brain development resulting in intelligence that is below average. This means affected people find great difficulty in handling tasks that unaffected persons would otherwise find easily surmountable. For this reason, different intellectual disability services are made available in Portsmouth for affected individuals to better themselves. A variety of terms are used synonymously with intellectual disability. Some of them are general learning disability and intellectual development disorder (IDD).
For a person to be diagnosed with intellectual disability, certain criterion is used according to the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). First, individuals must be deficient in general mental capabilities. Secondly these individuals are usually unable to adapt to the social environment in terms of communication skills and so forth. These disorders should be observed in childhood. This serves as a distinction from other forms of brain function impairment such as dementia.
General learning impairment can be categorized either as syndromic or non syndromic. An underlying medical disorder is usually present in the syndromic type. One of the most common medical conditions associated with IDD include Down syndrome. Signs and symptoms of intellectual disability are related to delays or impaired social development. These individuals have poor language skills, poor memory and have difficulty in taking care of themselves.
Causes of intellectual disability may be divided into genetic, nutritional, environmental, behavioral causes and others. The genetic disorders associated with IDD are Klinefelter and Downs syndrome. Environmental causes include exposure to toxins such as lead. Behavioral causes are those seen in expectant mothers who take alcohol. Sometimes, pregnant women infected with rubella may pass the infection to the fetus if not promptly treated causing brain impairment. Malnutrition is a common causative factor in the developing world. In a few cases, the cause is unknown.
There are a variety of services available for persons with IDD all over the world. These services aim at equipping affected individuals with the necessary skills required to go through their day to day lives successfully. Whereas some agencies run only during the day, some take it upon themselves to not only offer shelter but also secure the future of these individuals through offering them employment.
Every person has a role to play in rehabilitating persons with IDD, starting from the guardian to the clinician, to members of the community. Their role may fall under any four groups including behavioral, psycho-social, family based and cognitive treatment. Psycho-social intervention is done early in the life of a child before they start going to school. Children are taught simple skills, they are given the freedom of exploring and are trained the same thing over and over again until they master the given skill. They are also rewarded whenever they achieve a certain goal.
Behavioral treatment entails acquisition of social skills and language. Visual aids such as shapes and pictures are utilized under the leadership of a therapist. This not only equips the child with skills such smiling and following instructions but also communication and sharing. More technical stuff such as math can be introduced when psycho-social and behavioral treatments are combined.
Medical professionals can be involved in specific cases such as autism. Sometimes autistic children may go through a phase of intense behavioral changes that require medical intervention. Usually, they are given anti-psychotics or drugs to stabilize their mood. However, this medication should be taken with caution to avoid serious side effects.
For a person to be diagnosed with intellectual disability, certain criterion is used according to the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). First, individuals must be deficient in general mental capabilities. Secondly these individuals are usually unable to adapt to the social environment in terms of communication skills and so forth. These disorders should be observed in childhood. This serves as a distinction from other forms of brain function impairment such as dementia.
General learning impairment can be categorized either as syndromic or non syndromic. An underlying medical disorder is usually present in the syndromic type. One of the most common medical conditions associated with IDD include Down syndrome. Signs and symptoms of intellectual disability are related to delays or impaired social development. These individuals have poor language skills, poor memory and have difficulty in taking care of themselves.
Causes of intellectual disability may be divided into genetic, nutritional, environmental, behavioral causes and others. The genetic disorders associated with IDD are Klinefelter and Downs syndrome. Environmental causes include exposure to toxins such as lead. Behavioral causes are those seen in expectant mothers who take alcohol. Sometimes, pregnant women infected with rubella may pass the infection to the fetus if not promptly treated causing brain impairment. Malnutrition is a common causative factor in the developing world. In a few cases, the cause is unknown.
There are a variety of services available for persons with IDD all over the world. These services aim at equipping affected individuals with the necessary skills required to go through their day to day lives successfully. Whereas some agencies run only during the day, some take it upon themselves to not only offer shelter but also secure the future of these individuals through offering them employment.
Every person has a role to play in rehabilitating persons with IDD, starting from the guardian to the clinician, to members of the community. Their role may fall under any four groups including behavioral, psycho-social, family based and cognitive treatment. Psycho-social intervention is done early in the life of a child before they start going to school. Children are taught simple skills, they are given the freedom of exploring and are trained the same thing over and over again until they master the given skill. They are also rewarded whenever they achieve a certain goal.
Behavioral treatment entails acquisition of social skills and language. Visual aids such as shapes and pictures are utilized under the leadership of a therapist. This not only equips the child with skills such smiling and following instructions but also communication and sharing. More technical stuff such as math can be introduced when psycho-social and behavioral treatments are combined.
Medical professionals can be involved in specific cases such as autism. Sometimes autistic children may go through a phase of intense behavioral changes that require medical intervention. Usually, they are given anti-psychotics or drugs to stabilize their mood. However, this medication should be taken with caution to avoid serious side effects.
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