Understanding the World of Developmental Disability

Developmental disabilities are chronic conditions that generally develop in the first few years of life and cause difficulty in one or more of the skills common among adults. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a developmental disability as a condition that causes difficulty with “language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living.” In this article, we will discuss some of the common types, causes, symptoms, and outcomes in people living with developmental disabilities.

Different Types of Developmental Disabilities

There are countless different developmental disabilities. However, the majority can be grouped into conditions that lead to physical, intellectual, and functional changes. In reality, many of these conditions have some effect on every element of a child’s development, with each individual experiencing unique challenges.

Physical

The list of developmental disabilities that lead to physical changes is extremely long. Many of these conditions can also lead to changes in intellect and function, but in most cases, physical changes are the most visible or significant component of the condition. The most common physical disabilities are:

– Down syndrome
– Cerebral palsy
– Seizure disorders
– Neural tube defects (spina bifida)
– Abnormal development of libs
– Abnormal development of organs

Functional

Functional developmental disabilities are related to decreased or atypical function in a specific bodily system or mental area. These disabilities are almost as broad as physical disabilities as they can affect any part of the body. However, unlike physical disabilities, functional disabilities generally only affect one body part. The most common functional disabilities affect the following:

– Sight
– Hearing
– Speech production
– Attention
– Memory

Intellectual

Intellectual developmental disability is the broadest category of developmental disability. It is a broad category that is defined as “difficulty with language, motor skills, self-help skills, and social rules.” Many of the physical and functional disabilities can lead to a degree of intellectual disability. Intellectual disability can also present on its own without evidence of disability in any other area. The most common disabilities that have an intellectual component are:

– Down syndrome
– Fragile X syndrome
– Fetal alcohol syndrome
– Fetal infections during pregnancy

What are the Most Common Developmental Disabilities?

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

ADHD results in difficulty with attention, focus, and organization along with hyperactivity and impulsive actions. ADHD can present in many different ways and typically causes difficulty in academic and professional situations.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

ASD causes difficulty with communication and interaction with other people as well as difficulty processing sensory information. ASD has a wide variety of severities but almost always leads to difficulty with social interactions that affect academic, professional, and personal life.

Down syndrome

Down syndrome leads to abnormal development of the brain, organs, and structures of the head/neck which causes physical disability, a reduced lifespan, and in most cases intellectual disability. It has significant variations in severity between individuals.

Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that alters brain development and typically leads to intellectual disability and signs and symptoms consistent with autism spectrum disorder.

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is the name given to a group of conditions that affect the development of the nerves and brain and lead to changes in the ability to move the limbs and maintain balance. It can result in muscle tightness and spasms or loss of control of one or more muscles.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is an abnormality in the brain that results in seizures. These seizures can lead to damage to the brain over time if they cannot be controlled with medication or surgery.

Developmental Intellectual disability

Developmental intellectual disability is the term used when a person is living with an intellectual disability that has no known cause. Many rare conditions lead to intellectual disability and there are likely many that have not been discovered. Some can be treated and many have other potentially dangerous effects on health.

Intellectual disabilities are not the same as developmental disabilities. The term intellectual disability also refers to disabilities that are the result of another condition such as a traumatic brain injury, stroke, or a medical condition. Developmental disabilities and developmental intellectual disabilities are the result of an abnormality that has been present since birth.

Learning disability

Learning disabilities are another broad category of conditions that lead to difficulty in understanding or using spoken and written language, performing mathematical calculations, or paying attention to tasks associated with learning. It is unclear what causes learning disabilities that are not the result of another one of the conditions listed above.

What Causes Developmental Disabilities?

The causes of developmental disabilities are extremely varied. Many of the disabilities listed above have had entire libraries of academic papers and textbooks written about them. However, all of the developmental disabilities with known causes can be grouped into one of four major categories that describe their basic cause. These categories are nervous system disorders, sensory-related disorders, metabolic disorders, and degenerative disorders.

Nervous system disorders

Many of the most common developmental disabilities result from birth defects that affect the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. The majority of the disability that results from Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and cerebral palsy are related to the formation of the nervous system.

Sensory-related disorders

Issues with the body’s ability to sense the world around it are another common cause of developmental disability. Blindness and deafness are the most classic examples of this cause. This is an uncommon cause, as the majority of conditions that cause severe damage to one or more of the senses are better classified as nervous system disorders.

Metabolic disorders

Metabolic disorders are the most complicated. Genetic abnormalities in a child can lead to issues with the metabolism; the ability to build, break down, or move proteins, fats, and carbohydrates throughout the body. This can lead to the abnormal formation of one or more organs and can damage organs that have already formed normally.

Degenerative disorders

Degenerative disorders are also usually related to genetics. People living with a degenerative disorder typically have normally functioning organs at birth. However, some abnormality in these organs leads them to break down much faster than expected. This is typically due to an abnormality in the cells that make up that organ.

What are the Symptoms of a Developmental Disability?

The signs and symptoms of developmental disabilities are extremely varied, below are some of the most common signs and symptoms that are associated with developmental disability. Note that many of these signs and symptoms can be normal at various stages of life or could represent other medical conditions. The only way to diagnose developmental disability and evaluate for other medical conditions is regular follow-ups with a pediatrician to monitor development.