Articles & Resources
To help assist you in your goal of providing meaningful and effective intellectual disability services, we’ve gathered insight on some of the best tools, approaches, and practices.
We hope the following documentation will help you in understanding intellectual disability and how a person-centered approach to health and wellness can make all of the difference in supporting those with IDD.
Diagnosing intellectual disability is just the start of providing adequate care. IDD services help address the unique needs of these individuals, with data-driven tools that allow those with IDD to live more productive and more independent lives.
What Does IDD Stand For?
An IDD, or intellectual-developmental disability, is a type of disorder that includes exhibiting lower than average intelligence scores and deficits in life skill capabilities. Most individuals in this vulnerable population will exhibit symptoms early in life.
Interesting Facts About Intellectual Disabilities
There are a lot of misconceptions about those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To help spread awareness, we’ve compiled some facts to help set the record straight.
- In the United States, a conservative estimate is that 4.6 million people in the US have been diagnosed with a disability. Some studies indicate that the number is much higher.
- To date, we’ve discovered more than 250 different causes of intellectual disabilities.
- Genetics are behind IDDs in just 25% of cases.
- Among adults with intellectual disabilities, 92% live independently or with family members.
Having an intellectual or developmental disability doesn’t mean that someone is unable to live a full life. What it does mean however is that specialized support is often required, including a person-centered thinking approach that allows those with IDD to have a voice in their care decisions.
In addition to offering tools for the support of people with IDD—including the widely used Health Risk Screening Tool —we’re proud to contribute to the discourse with articles and resources that provide key insights on ensuring people with an intellectual disability receive the best support and healthcare possible.
Assessments
An assessment is crucial in diagnosing and serving the needs of individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability.
A diagnostic assessment is designed to define an individual with IDD’s specific needs, including both their limitations and their strengths. This assessment is the foundation for providing all affected individuals with the proper level of care.