What is an intellectual disability in adults?

Intellectual disability1 involves problems with general mental abilities that affect functioning in two areas: intellectual functioning (such as learning, problem solving, judgement) adaptive functioning (activities of daily life such as communication and independent living)

At what age intellectual disability usually occurs?

Intellectual disability can happen any time before a child turns 18 years old, even before birth. Intellectual disability is the most common developmental disability.

How do you diagnose someone with an intellectual disability?

A thorough assessment usually includes the following:

  1. comprehensive medical exam;
  2. possible genetic and neurological testing;
  3. social and familial history;
  4. educational history;
  5. psychological testing to assess intellectual functioning;
  6. testing of adaptive functioning;
  7. interviews with primary caregivers;

What are some examples of intellectual disabilities?

Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability – like Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects, and infections – happen before birth.

What causes someone to have an intellectual disability?

Intellectual disability can be caused by a problem that starts any time before a child turns 18 years old – even before birth. It can be caused by injury, disease, or a problem in the brain. For many children, the cause of their intellectual disability is not known.

Is a learning disability an intellectual disability?

A learning disability is not an intellectual disability. Individuals with learning disabilities have average or above average intelligence, and the term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of another cause, such as intellectual disabilities or lack of educational opportunity.

When is the correct age for intellectual disability?

It is a specific disability with many causes. Therefore, there is no specific time of onset for intellectual disability. However, diagnostic criteria require childhood onset, before the age of 18. If the problems begin after age eighteen, the correct diagnosis is neurocognitive disorder.

What are the major symptoms of intellectually disabled adults?

The profoundly intellectually disabled are mostly non-communicative, and many are institutionalized due to their need for around-the-clock care. Adaptive functioning refers to skills that are of a practical or social nature, such as the ability to earn a living and care for oneself.

How does anger management affect people with disabilities?

• There is preliminary evidence that people with disability present with higher rates of anger control problems compared to people without disabilities (Hagiliassis, et al., 2005; Rose & Gerson, 2009; Smith, Branford, Collacott, Cooper, & McGrother, 1996) • People with intellectual disability often have unmet physical and interpersonal needs.

How is aggression measured in adults with intellectual disability?

Interviews & Assessments • The Aggression Questionnaire –Developed by Buss and Perry (1992) –29 statements where people are asked to indicate how uncharacteristic or characteristic each statement is, using a five-point scale. –Normative sample was 1,253 individuals without intellectual disability.