Developmental disabilities are a broad range of conditions that have a significant impact on the quality of life of affected persons. Such conditions can have their roots before a child is born and may manifest as late as 22 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Developmental disabilities affect many systems, and they can have both physical and cognitive/mental consequences. Although developmental disabilities can negatively impact sufferers' lives, a number of organizations, including the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, work to improve the lives and protect the rights of affected persons.
Types
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) divides developmental disabilities into a number of categories; these include neurological disorders, sensory disabilities, and metabolic and degenerative disorders. Neurological conditions include various forms of mental retardation, the disorders known collectively as autism, Down syndrome, and Fragile X syndrome. Sensory disabilities include hearing and vision loss or impairment (including various causes of blindness and deafness), as well as other sensory-related conditions. Metabolic disorders include phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism, which can lead to mental retardation; one degenerative disorder, Rett syndrome, causes children to regress in acquired skill levels after they have initially made normal progress.
Effects
The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) states that developmental disabilities limit the lives of sufferers in ways such as being unable to care for and direct oneself, impairment in the use of language, limited learning and mobility and the loss or absence of ability to provide for oneself. The ADD and many other organizations work to help persons affected by developmental disabilities integrate into the broader community by providing a number of services, including early intervention and housing. The CDC focuses prevention and outreach efforts in areas like cerebral palsy, autism and hearing loss.
Significance
A number of additional factors may arise in the lives of persons with developmental disabilities. They may face bullying as children and various forms of societal discrimination as adults. According to Sally-Ann Cooper of St. George's University of London, as many as 40 percent of people with developmental disabilities may have psychiatric problems, partially in association with the extra-psychological stress imposed on the lives of the affected. The Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Amendments of 1970 and associated laws are designed to provide services for and protect the rights of people with developmental disabilities.
Treatment
The NICHD notes that a number of therapies are available for developmental disabilities. These include speech therapy, occupational and motor therapy, special education, hormone treatments for hypothyroidism and special diets for metabolic disorders. Developmental disorders are not typically curable, and their effects last throughout the course of an affected person's life.
Considerations
With appropriate therapeutic intervention and a strong support system, individuals with developmental disabilities can thrive. Efforts should be undertaken to understand the unique needs of all persons with developmental disabilities and to ensure that there are resources in place to address issues of poor treatment and discrimination against affected persons. For more information on national organizations that work for people with developmental disabilities, see Resources.
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