Understanding Developmental Disabilities: Definition & Key Information

Developmental disabilities are disabilities that emerge during the years of childhood and adolescence and can cause significant impairments for the individual. An understanding of developmental disabilities is important for parents with developmentally disabled children, teachers, social workers and others.

Definition

• A developmental disability is a condition that involves physical or mental impairments, develops before age 22, is expected to continue throughout the lifetime of the individual and is manifested through impairments in multiple domains of functioning.

History

• Treatment of the developmentally disabled has gradually improved over time. In the 20th century, laws mandating that the mentally retarded must be sterilized were overturned, and a movement away from institutions and toward supportive independent living occurred.

Causes

• Developmental disabilities can be caused by numerous factors, including both prenatal and postnatal exposure to toxins, genes, malnutrition and diseases.

Types

• Most developmental disabilities can be placed into one or more of the following categories: neurological (autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation), sensory (blindness, deafness), metabolic (hypothyrodism) and degenerative (Rett Syndrome).

Epidemiology

• According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 13 percent of children have some form of a developmental disability.