Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical or combination of mental and physical impairments, manifested prior to age twenty-two. The term is used most commonly in the United States to refer to disabilities affecting daily functioning in three or more of the following areas: The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... Look up disability in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Commonly recognized disabilities include: Physical disability Mobility impairment Clubfoot Paralysis Amputation Multiple sclerosis Parkinsons disease Cerebral Palsy Muscular dystrophy Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis Osteoarthritis Stroke Spina Bifida Visual impairment Blindness Low vision Color blindness Cataract . ...

• capacity for independent living
• economic self-sufficiency
• learning
• mobility
• receptive and expressive language
• self-care
• self-direction

Usually people with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, various genetic and chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder are described as having developmental disabilities. This use of the term is synonymous with the use of the term learning disability in the United Kingdom and intellectual disability in Australia, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. Cognitive disability is also used synonymously in some jurisdictions. Mental retardation is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal global intellectual capacity as an adult. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A boy with autism and his mother Autism refers to a spectrum of disorders, and lies somewhere under the umbrella of a greater encompassing spectrum, that of pervasive developmental disorders that involve the functioning of the brain. ... A genetic disorder is a disease caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. ... Fragile X syndrome, also known as the MikyD syndrome, is a syndrome of X-linked mental retardation. ... This baby has FASD. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a spectrum of permanent and often devastating birth-defect syndromes caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Developmental disabilities are usually classified as severe, profound, moderate or mild, as assessed by the individual's need for supports, which may be lifelong.

Causes of developmental disabilities

There are many social, environmental and physical causes of developmental disabilities, although for some a definitive cause may never be determined. Common factors causing developmental disabilities include:

• Brain injury or infection before, during or after birth
• Growth or nutrition problems
• Abnormalities of chromosomes and genes
• Babies born long before the expected birth date - also called extreme prematurity
• Poor diet and health care
• Drug misuse during pregnancy, including excessive alcohol intake and smoking.
• Child abuse can also have a severe effect on the development of a child, specifically the socio-emotional development.

Developmental disabilities affect between 1 and 2% of the population in most western countries, although many government sources acknowledge that statistics are flawed in this area. The worldwide proportion of people with developmental disabilities is believed to be approximately 1.4%.^[1] It is twice as common in males as in females, and some researchers have found that the prevalence of mild developmental disabilities is likely to be higher in areas of poverty and deprivation, and among people of certain ethnicities.^[2] Traumatic brain injury (TBI), traumatic injuries to the brain, also called intracranial injury, or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes brain damage. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption for humans. ... This article is about the biological chromosome. ... For a non-technical introduction to the topic, see Introduction to Genetics. ... In most systems of human pregnancy, the condition, premature birth (also known as a preterm birth), occurs when the baby is born within sooner than 36 weeks of completed gestation. ... In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ... A pregnant woman near the end of her term Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring in an embryonal or fetal stage of development by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies, between the stages of conception and birth. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The cigarette is the most common method of smoking tobacco. ... Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others. ...

Associated issues

Physical health issues

There are many physical health factors associated with developmental disabilities. For some specific syndromes and diagnoses, these are inherent (such as poor heart function in people with Down syndrome); however lack of access to health services and lack of understanding by medical professionals is also a major contributing factor. People with severe communication difficulties find it difficult to articulate their health needs, and without adequate support and education might not recognise ill health. Epilepsy, sensory problems (such as poor vision and hearing), obesity and poor dental health are over-represented in this population.^[3] Life expectancy among people with developmental disabilities as a group is estimated at 20 years below average, although this is increasing with advancements in adaptive and medical technologies, and as people are leading healthier, more fulfilling lives,^[4] and some specific diagnoses (such as Freeman-Sheldon syndrome) do not impact on life expectancy. Communication is a process that allows beings - in particular humans - to exchange information by several methods. ... Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health) can be defined as a state of poor health. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Hearing is the following: Hearing is the sense by which sound is perceived. ... Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth clean in order to prevent cavities (dental caries), gingivitis, periodontitis, bad breath (halitosis), and other dental disorders. ... World map of human life expectancy, 2005 Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average length of survival of a living thing. ... Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome (also known as Whistling Face Syndrome) is a rare genetic condition which characteristically includes a small whistling mouth, a flat mask-like face, club feet, joint contractures usually involving the fingers and hands, and under-development of the cartilage of the nose. ...

Mental health issues (dual diagnoses)

Mental health issues, and psychiatric illnesses, are more likely to occur in people with developmental disabilities than in the general population. A number of factors are attributed to the high incidence rate of dual diagnoses: Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of mental illness. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ...

• the high likelihood of encountering traumatic events throughout their lifetime (such as abandonment by loved ones, abuse, bullying and harassment)
• the social restrictions placed upon people with developmental disabilities (such as lack of education, poverty, limited employment opportunities, limited opportunities for fulfilling relationships, boredom)
• biological factors (such as brain injury, epilepsy, illicit and prescribed drug and alcohol misuse)
• developmental factors (such as lack of understanding of social norms and appropriate behaviour, inability of those around to allow/ understand expressions of grief and other human emotions)

These problems are exacerbated by difficulties in diagnosis of mental health issues, and in appropriate treatment and medication, as for physical health issues.^[5][6] Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. ... Abuser redirects here. ... Bullying is the tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. ... Harassment refers to a wide spectrum of offensive behavior. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... In sociology, a norm, or social norm, is a pattern of behavior expected within a particular society in a given situation. ... Its over and done But the heartache lives on inside And who is the one your clinging to instead of me tonight And where are you now Now that I need you Tears on my pillow Wherever you go Cry me a river that leads to your oceans Youll never...

Abuse and vulnerability

Abuse is a significant issue for people with developmental disabilities, and as a group they are regarded as vulnerable people in most jurisdictions. Common types of abuse include: Abuser redirects here. ...

• Physical abuse (withholding food, hitting, punching, pushing, etc.)
• Neglect (withholding help when required, e.g., assistance with personal hygiene)
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological or emotional abuse (verbal abuse, shaming and belittling)
• Constraint and restrictive practices (turning off an electric wheelchair so a person cannot move)
• Financial abuse (charging unnecessary fees, holding onto pensions, wages, etc.)
• Legal or civil abuse (restricted access to services)
• Systemic abuse (denied access to an appropriate service due to perceived support needs)
• Passive neglect (a caregiver’s failure to provide adequate food, shelter)

Lack of education, lack of self-esteem and self-advocacy skills, lack of understanding of social norms and appropriate behaviour and communication difficulties are strong contributing factors to the high incidence of abuse among this population.

In addition to abuse from people in positions of power, peer abuse is recognised as a significant, if misunderstood, problem. Rates of criminal offending among people with developmental disabilities are also disproportionately high, and it is widely acknowledged that criminal justice systems throughout the world are ill-equipped for the needs of people with developmental disabilities (as both perpetrators and victims of crime)^[7][8][9].

Challenging behaviour

See main article: Challenging behaviour

Some people with developmental disabilities exhibit challenging behaviour, defined as "culturally abnormal behaviour(s) of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities"^[10]. Common types of challenging behaviour include self-injurious behaviour (such as hitting, headbutting, biting), aggressive behaviour (such as hitting others, screaming, spitting, kicking), inappropriate sexualised behaviour (such as public masturbation or groping), behaviour directed at property (such as throwing objects and stealing) and stereotyped behaviours (such as repetitive rocking, echolalia or elective incontinence). Challenging behaviour is defined as culturally abnormal behaviour(s) of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities [1]. Challenging behaviour... Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person. ...

Challenging behaviour in people with developmental disabilities may be caused by a number of factors, including biological (pain, medication, the need for sensory stimulation), social (attention-seeking, the need for control, lack of knowledge of community norms), environmental (physical aspects such as noise and lighting, or gaining access to preferred objects or activities) or simply a means of communication. A lot of the time, challenging behaviour is learned and brings rewards, and it is very often possible to teach people new behaviours to achieve the same aims.

Societal attitudes towards developmental disabilities

Throughout history, people with developmental disabilities have been viewed as incapable and child-like in their capacity for decision-making and development. Until the Enlightenment in Europe, care and asylum was provided by families and the church (in monasteries and other religious communities), focusing on the provision of basic physical needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Stereotypes such as the dimwitted yokel, and potentially harmful characterisations (such as demonic possession for people with epilepsy) were prominent in social attitudes of the time. The Age of Enlightenment (French: ; German: ) was an eighteenth century movement in European and American philosophy, or the longer period including the Age of Reason. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The movement towards individualism in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the opportunities afforded by the Industrial Revolution, lead to housing and care using the asylum model. People were placed by, or removed from, their families (usually in infancy) and housed in large institutions (of up to 3,000 people, although some institutions were home to many more, such as the Philadelphia State Hospital in Pennsylvania which housed 7,000 people through the 1960s), many of which were self-sufficient through the labour of the residents. The Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry, also known as Byberry Mental Hospital, opened in 1907 in Northeast Philadelphia. ...

Some of these institutions provided a very basic level of education (such as differentiation between colours and basic word recognition and numeracy), but most continued to focus solely on the provision of basic needs. Conditions in such institutions varied widely, but the support provided was generally non-individualised, with aberrant behaviour and low levels of economic productivity regarded as a burden to society. Heavy tranquilisation and assembly line methods of support (such as 'birdfeeding' and cattle herding) were the norm, and the medical model of disability prevailed. Services were provided based on the relative ease to the provider, not based on the human needs of the individual. According to the classic medical notion of disability: Disability is the result of a sexual condition It is intrinsic to the individual (it is part of that individual’s own body) It may reduce the individuals quality of life and causes clear disadvantages A compassionate or just society will...

This segregation of people with developmental disabilities wasn't widely questioned by academics or policy-makers until the 1969 publication of Wolf Wolfensberger's seminal work "The Origin and Nature of Our Institutional Models",^[11] drawing on some of the ideas proposed by SG Howe a hundred years earlier. This book posited that society characterises people with disabilities as deviant, sub-human and burdens of charity, resulting in the adoption of that 'deviant' role. Wolfensberger argued that this dehumanisation, and the segregated institutions that result from it, ignored the potential productive contributions that all people can make to society. He pushed for a shift in policy and practice that recognised the human needs of "retardates" and provided the same basic human rights as for the rest of the population. Wolf Wolfensberger (born in Mannheim, Germany in 1934) is an American academic who influenced disability policy and practice in the United States and elsewhere through his development of Social Role Valorisation (SRV). ... Deviant behavior is behavior that is a recognized violation of cultural norms. ...

The publication of this book may be regarded as the first move towards the widespread adoption of the social model of disability in regard to these types of disabilities, and was the impetus for the development of government strategies for desegregation. Successful lawsuits against governments and an increasing awareness of human rights and self-advocacy also contributed to this process, resulting in the passing in the US of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act in 1980. The social model of disability proposes that barriers and prejudice and exclusion by society (purposely or inadvertently) are the ultimate factors defining who is disabled and who is not in a particular society. ... It has been suggested that civil trial be merged into this article or section. ...

From the 1960's to the present, most states have moved towards the elimination of segregated institutions. Along with the work Wolfensberger and others including Gunnar and Rosemary Dybwad,[1] a number of scandalous revelations around the horrific conditions within state institutions created public outrage led to change to a more community-based method of providing services.[2] By the mid-1970s, most governments had committed to de-institutionalisation, and had started preparing for the wholesale movement of people into the general community, in line with the principles of normalization. In most countries, this was essentially complete by the late 1990s, although the debate over whether or not to close instiutions persists in some states, including Massachusetts.[3] Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Services and support

Today, support services are provided by government agencies, non-governmental organisations and by private sector providers. Support services address most aspects of life for people with developmental disabilities, and are usually theoretically based in community inclusion, using concepts such as social role valorization and increased self-determination (using models such as Person Centred Planning). Support services are funded through government block funding (paid directly to service providers by the government), through individualised funding packages (paid directly to the individual by the government, specifically for the purchase of services) or privately by the individual (although they may receive certain subsidies or discounts, paid by the government). A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... The private sector of a nations economy consists of all that is outside the state. ... In psychology and social work practice, Social Role Valorization (SRV) is the name given to a concept for transacting human relationships and human service, formulated in 1983 by Wolf Wolfensberger, PhD, as the successor to his earlier formulation of the principle of normalization (Lemay, 1995; Wolfensberger, 1972). ... Person Centred Planning (PCP) is a life planning model designed to enable individuals with disabilities to increase their personal self-determination. ...

Education and training

See main article: Special education

Education and training opportunities for people with developmental disabilities have expanded greatly in recent times, with many governments mandating universal access to educational facilities, and more students moving out of special schools and into mainstream classrooms with support. Special education is instruction that is modified or particularized for those students with special needs, such as learning differences, mental health problems, specific disabilities (physical or developmental) [1] , and giftedness [2]. // Children with special needs have always been part of society. ... A special school is a school catering to students who have special educational needs (SEN), for example, because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities. ... Mainstreaming in education is the process of integrating students who have special needs into regular school classes. ...

Post-secondary education and vocational training is also increasing for people with these types of disabilities, although many programs offer only segregated "access" courses in areas such as literacy, numeracy and other basic skills. Legislation (such as the UK's Disability Discrimination Act 1995) requires educational institutions and training providers to make 'reasonable adjustments' to curriculum and teaching methods in order to accommodate the learning needs of students with disabilities, wherever possible. ... A blacksmith is a traditional trade. ... This article is about the ability to read and write. ... Numeracy is a term that emerged in the United Kingdom as a contraction of numerical literacy. In the United States, it is familiar to math educators and intellectuals but not in the common usage. ... The Disability Discrimination Act is a UK parliamentary act of 1995, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against people in respect of their disabilities in relation to employment, the provision of goods and services, education and transport. ...

At-home and community support

Many people with developmental disabilities live in the general community, either with family members, or in their own homes (that they rent or own, living alone or with flatmates). At-home and community supports range from one-to-one assistance from a support worker with identified aspects of daily living (such as budgeting, shopping or paying bills) to full 24-hour support (including assistance with household tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, and personal care such as showering, dressing and the administration of medication). The need for full 24-hour support is usually associated with difficulties recognising safety issues (such as responding to a fire or using a telephone) or for people with potentially dangerous medical conditions (such as asthma or diabetes) who are unable to manage their conditions without assistance. A flatshare is the name given to a flat or house that is shared. ... Budget generally refers to a list of all planned expenses. ... Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with intent to purchase. ... Cooking is the act of preparing food. ... Cleanliness is the absence of dirt, including dust, stains and a bad smell. ...

In the United States a support worker is known as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). The DSP works in assisting the individual with their ADLs and also acts as an advocate for the individual with a developmental disability, in communicating their needs, self expression and goals. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are people who work directly with mentally disabled and/or developmentally disabled persons with the aim of integrating those individuals into society in the least restrictive environment. ... An advocate is one who speaks on behalf of another, especially in a legal context. ... In Organizational Development, goals represent desired future states of organizations. ...

Supports of this type also include assistance to identify and undertake new hobbies or to access community services (such as education), learning appropriate behaviour or recognition of community norms, or with relationships and expanding circles of friends. Most programs offering at-home and community support are designed with the goal of increasing the individual's independence, although it is recognised that people with more severe disabilities may never be able to achieve full independence in some areas of daily life.

Residential accommodation

Some people with developmental disabilities live in residential accommodation (also known as group homes) with other people with similar assessed needs. These homes are usually staffed around the clock, and usually house between 3 and 15 residents. The prevalence of this type of support is gradually decreasing, however, as residential accommodation is replaced by at-home and community support, which can offer increased choice and self-determination for individuals. Some U.S. states still provide institutional care, such as the Texas State Schools.^[12] Texas State Schools are a collection of residential facilities run by the state for people with developmental disabilities. ...

Employment support

Employment support usually consists of two types of support:

• Support to access or participate in integrated employment, in a workplace in the general community. This may include specific programs to increase the skills needed for successful employment (work preparation), one-to-one or small group support for on-the-job training, or one-to-one or small group support after a transition period (such as advocacy when dealing with an employer or a bullying colleague, or assistance to complete an application for a promotion).
• The provision of specific employment opportunities within segregated business services. Although these are designed as 'transitional' services (teaching work skills needed to move into integrated employment), many people remain in such services for the duration of their working life. The types of work performed in business services include mailing and packaging services, cleaning, gardening and landscaping, timberwork, metal fabrication, farming and sewing.

Workers with developmental disabilities have historically been paid less for their labour than those in the general workforce, although this is gradually changing with government initiatives, the enforcement of anti-discrimination legislation and changes in perceptions of capability in the general community.

Day services

Non-vocational day services are usually known as day centres, and are traditionally segregated services offering training in life skills (such as meal preparation and basic literacy), centre-based activities (such as craft, games and music classes) and external activities (such as day trips). Some more progressive day centres also support people to access vocational training opportunities (such as college courses), and offer individualised outreach services (planning and undertaking activities with the individual, with support offered one-to-one or in small groups).

Traditional day centres were based on the principles of occupational therapy, and were created as respite for family members caring for their loved ones with disabilities. This is slowly changing, however, as programs offered become more skills-based and focused on increasing independence. Occupational therapy refers to the use of meaningful occupations to assist people who have difficulty in achieving occupationally balanced lives. ... Respite care is the temporary residential care for a patient with the intention of providing a break for the primary care givers. ...

Advocacy

Advocacy is a burgeoning support field for people with developmental disabilities. Advocacy groups now exist in most jurisdictions, working collaboratively with people with disabilities for systemic change (such as changes in policy and legislation) and for changes for individuals (such as claiming welfare benefits or when responding to abuse). Most advocacy groups also work to support people, throughout the world, to increase their capacity for self-advocacy, teaching the skills necessary for people to advocate for their own needs. Advocacy is the act of arguing on behalf of a particular issue, idea or person. ... Self-advocacy means patient empowerment in the medical use. ...

Other types of support

Other types of support for people with developmental disabilities may include:

• therapeutic services, such as speech therapy, massage, aromatherapy, or drama or music therapy
• supported holidays
• short-stay respite services (for people who live with family members or other unpaid carers)
• transport services, such as dial-a-ride or free bus passes
• specialist behaviour support services, such as high-security services for people with high-level, high-risk challenging behaviours
• specialist relationships and sex education services

Notes

1. ^ Inclusion International
2. ^ Valuing People — A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century. Secretary of State (UK) for Health (March 2001).
3. ^ Health Guidelines for Adults with an Intellectual Disability. St. George's University of London/Down's Syndrome Association.
4. ^ Health and People with Intellectual Disability. NSW Council for Intellectual Disability.
5. ^ Learning Disabilities: Mental Health Problems.
6. ^ Sally-Ann Cooper. CLASSIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN ADULTS WITH LEARNING [INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES]. St. George's.
7. ^ Sexual Abuse FAQ.
8. ^ Family Violence and People with Intellectual Disabilities. National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Public Health Agency of Canada.
9. ^ Criminal Justice FAQ. The Arc of the United States.
10. ^ Emerson, E. 1995. Challenging behaviour: analysis and intervention with people with learning difficulties. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
11. ^ Wolf Wolfensberger (January 10, 1969). The Origin and Nature of Our Institutional Models. Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded. President’s Committee on Mental Retardation, Washington, D.C..
12. ^ Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

See also

• Adaptive clothing
• Camphill Movement
• Disability rights movement
• Disabled sports
• Easy to Read
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• I am Sam
• Independent living
• L'Arche
• LiveWorkPlay
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs
• Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore
• Self-advocacy
• The Ringer
• Willowbrook State School

Adaptive clothing refers to clothing deigned to accomodate living assistance items such as diapers required by persons with physical or developmental disabilities. ... The Camphill Movement is an international movement of therapeutic intentional communities for those with special needs or disabilities. ... The disability rights movement aims to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. ... Image:Part is Marathon 2006-Handbike. ... Fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS is a disorder of permanent birth defects that occurs in the offspring of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Independent Living, as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at disability and society, and a worldwide movement of people with disabilities who proclaim to work for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities. ... LArche is an international network of faith-based communities creating homes and day programs with people who have developmental disabilities (or learning disabilities as they are known in the UK). ... LiveWorkPlay (LWP) is a Canadian charitable organization for people with intellectual disabilities. ... Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology that Abraham Maslow proposed in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation, which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans innate curiosity. ... The Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (abbrev: MINDS; Chinese: 新加坡弱智人士福利促进会), previously known as the Singapore Association for Retarded Children, is a voluntary welfare organisation catering to the needs of the intellectually disabled in Singapore. ... Self-advocacy means patient empowerment in the medical use. ... For The Legend of Zelda episode with the same name, see The Ringer (episode) The Ringer is a 2005 comedy starring Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, and Brian Cox with cameos by Terry Funk and Jesse Ventura. ... Willowbrook State School was a state-supported institution for mentally retarded children located in central Staten Island in New York City. ...

Further reading

• US Administration on Developmental Disabilities fact sheet
• A Short History of the Treatment of Persons with Mental Retardation (pdf)
• "Love Unlimited" City Pages, February 13, 2002
• Real Lives: Contemporary supports to people with mental retardation 1998 paper (pdf)
• Rights of People with Intellectual Disabilities: Access to Education and Employment, bilingual reports on 14 European countries
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare paper The Definition and Prevalence of Intellectual Disability in Australia
• 2001 New Zealand Snapshot of Intellectual Disability
• People with Intellectual Disabilities: from Invisible to Visible Citizens of the EU Accession Countries
• Policy brief: Education and Employment in the UK
• The American Bar Association's paper Invisible Victims: Violence against persons with developmental disabilities
• Persons With Intellectual Disability Who Are Incarcerated For Criminal Offences (Canadian paper)
• information on Pennhurst State School, an institution closed down after a successful lawsuit by residents subject to abuse
• A Time To Take Sides on community integration, 1979
• 1983 Temple University paper The Five Year Longitudinal Study of the Court-Ordered Deinstitutionalization of Pennhurst
• 'Fighting to keep 'em in', Ragged Edge magazine January 1998

External links

• International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability
• Beaverbrook STEP, Inc. - A Boston Area Non-Profit Organization Supporting adults with Developmental Disabilities
• CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign - Information for parents on early childhood development and developmental disabilities
• intellectualdisability.info
• Autism & Asperger's syndrome fact sheets Diagnosis, causes, interventions, behavior management, personal stories
• Inclusion Europe, the European Association of People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families
• ACT Advocating Change Together, US self-advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities
• Mental Disability Rights International website
• Mental Disability Advocacy Center
• Open Society Mental Health Initiative
• The Arc website
• National Association for the Dually Diagnosed website
• LiveWorkPlay, Canadian charitable organization, self-advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities
• Disability world webzine
• Think College (US site for people with intellectual disabilities looking for post-secondary education opportunities)
• Endeavour (large Australian service provider)
• Institute for Family Advocacy and Leadership Development (Australian non-profit organisation providing advocacy advice and information to families of people with developmental disability in New South Wales)
• Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association
• Disability Help Site a disability resource site. Help with finding benefits for the disabled.