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Notes On Intellectual Disability Services And Their Availability

By Mattie Knight


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).

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.

Intellectual disability may be syndromic or non syndromic based on presence or absence of related medical abnormalities respectively. Down syndrome is a common genetic disorder associated with syndromic disability. Presentation of IDD is usually behavioral, with memory, language development and social skills. These persons also have the challenge of keeping certain unacceptable behaviors in check, a term usually referred to as inhibition.

The causes of intellectual disability are diverse. The most common cause is genetic. Apart from Down syndrome, other genetic conditions involved include Klinefelter syndrome, fragile X, among others. Problems in pregnancy such as alcohol intake or infection with rubella can also result in impaired brain development in the unborn baby. Additional causes include malnutrition, especially in developing countries, exposure to toxins, 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.

Management of intellectual disability can be categorized into psycho-social, behavioral, cognitive behavioral or family related management. These services are not just provided by agencies but even the individual themselves and the community have their own part to play. Psycho-social treatment entails basic skills, exploration and acknowledging success. This is ideally done during the early preschool stages of the life of the child.

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.

Clinician come in when complications arise that require their attention. For example, extreme changes in mood among autistic children may require prescription of anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers. It is important to monitor for any side effects of these drugs as they may result in serious complications.




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