Notes On Intellectual Disability Services And Their Availability

By Mattie Knight


The term intellectual disability is used interchangeably with other terms such as intellectual development disorder (IDD) and general learning disability. The term mental retardation was initially but was dropped due to the stigma attached to it. IDD can be defined as intelligence that is lower than average. People with this kind of disorder have a bigger challenge in terms of dealing with issues that affect their daily lives. With the availability of intellectual disability services, they are able to overcome challenges and learn new skills.There are a number of things on IDD diagnosis and treatment Portsmouth residents should know.

According to the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, a diagnosis of IDD is made when at least three factors are present. These persons are generally deficient in general intelligence. There intelligence quotient when measured is below 70. Affected people also present with poor adaptive behavior. Most importantly, the disorder must become apparent in childhood in order to differentiate from other mental illnesses such as dementia.

General learning disability can be said to be either a syndrome or a non syndrome. Downs is one of the disorders involved in the syndromic category. In the non underlying anomalies can be detected. In both, patients present with symptoms that are behavioral in nature. They are unable to look after themselves, they lack the ability to communicate effectively and do not remember events that happened in the recent past.

IDD can be attributed to a number of factors but the most common is genetic derangement as seen in conditions such as Downs, fragile X and Klinefelter syndrome. Malnutrition is a major contributory factor in the African continent due to poverty and lack of awareness. Other global causes include fetal alcohol syndrome, rubella syndrome in a pregnant mother, accidental poisonous substances such as lead, among others.

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.

The behavioral approach of intervention incorporates attainment of language and social skills. This is done under the guidance of a skills therapist on a one on one basis with other aid of shapes, pictures and other visual aids. Older children also benefit from this treatment since they are able to acquire skills such as smiling, sharing, communicating and even obeying instructions. An advanced form assistance takes into account both psycho-social and behavioral treatments. Children are taught language, math and other academic units that require them to exercise their ability to learn and remember.

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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