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Intellectualdisability CDC

Intellectual disability, also known as mental retardation, refers to limits in a person's ability to learn and function in daily life. It can cause children to learn and develop skills like speaking, walking, and self-care more slowly than other children. Intellectual disability has various potential causes before or after birth, such as genetic conditions, injuries, or diseases. Common signs in children include delays in sitting, crawling, walking, and speaking, as well as difficulties understanding social rules and solving problems. Parents concerned about their child's development should speak to their pediatrician or contact early intervention services to schedule an evaluation.

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58 views

Intellectualdisability CDC

Intellectual disability, also known as mental retardation, refers to limits in a person's ability to learn and function in daily life. It can cause children to learn and develop skills like speaking, walking, and self-care more slowly than other children. Intellectual disability has various potential causes before or after birth, such as genetic conditions, injuries, or diseases. Common signs in children include delays in sitting, crawling, walking, and speaking, as well as difficulties understanding social rules and solving problems. Parents concerned about their child's development should speak to their pediatrician or contact early intervention services to schedule an evaluation.

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Intellectual Disability

(also known as Mental Retardation)

FACT SH E ET

What is intellectual disability?


Intellectual disability, also known as mental retardation,
is a term used when there are limits to a persons ability
to learn at an expected level and function in daily life.
Levels of intellectual disability vary greatly in children
from a very slight problem to a very severe problem.
Children with intellectual disability might have a hard
time letting others know their wants and needs, and
taking care of themselves. Intellectual disability could
cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than
other children of the same age. It could take longer for
a child with intellectual disability to learn to speak, walk,
dress, or eat without help, and they could have trouble
learning in school.
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. 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. Others happen while
a baby is being born or soon after birth. Still other
causes of intellectual disability do not occur until a child
is older; these might include serious head injury, stroke,
or certain infections.

There are many signs of intellectual disability.

For example, children with intellectual disability may:

sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children


learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking
find it hard to remember things
have trouble understanding social rules
have trouble seeing the results of their actions
have trouble solving problems

What can I do if I think my child


may have intellectual disability?
Talk with your childs doctor or nurse. If you or your
doctor think there could be a problem, you can take
your child to see a developmental pediatrician or other
specialist, and you can contact your local early
intervention agency (for children under 3) or public
school (for children 3 and older). To find out who to
speak to in your area, you can contact the National
Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities by
logging on to www.nichcy.org/states.htm. In
addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has links to information for families
(www.cdc.gov/ncbddd).
To help your child reach his or her full potential, it is very
important to get help for him or her as early as possible!

What are some of the signs of


intellectual disability?
Usually, the more severe the degree of intellectual
disability, the earlier the signs can be noticed. However,
it might still be hard to tell how young children will be
affected later in life.

www.cdc.gov/actearly

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

Hoja informativa sobre


Discapacidad Intelectual

Qu es el discapacidad intelectual?
Discapacidad intelectual, tambin conocido como retraso
mental, es un trmino utilizado cuando una persona no tiene
la capacidad de aprender a niveles esperados y funcionar
normalmente en la vida cotidiana. En los nios, los niveles
de discapacidad intelectual varan ampliamente, desde
problemas muy leves hasta problemas muy graves. Los nios
con discapacidad intelectual puede que tengan dificultad
para comunicar a otros lo que quieren o necesitan, as como
para valerse por s mismos. El discapacidad intelectual
podra hacer que el nio aprenda y se desarrolle de una
forma ms lenta que otros nios de la misma edad. Estos
nios podran necesitar ms tiempo para aprender a hablar,
caminar, vestirse o comer sin ayuda y tambin podran tener
problemas de aprendizaje en la escuela.
El discapacidad intelectual puede ser la consecuencia de un
problema que comienza antes de que el nio nazca hasta
que llegue a los 18 aos de edad. La causa puede ser una
lesin, enfermedad o un problema en el cerebro. En muchos
nios no se conoce la causa del discapacidad intelectual.
Algunas de las causas ms frecuentes del discapacidad
intelectual, como el sndrome de Down, el sndrome
alcohlico fetal, el sndrome X frgil, afecciones genticas,
defectos congnitos e infecciones, ocurren antes del
nacimiento. Otras causas ocurren durante el parto o poco
despus del nacimiento. En otros casos, las causas del
discapacidad intelectual no se presentan sino hasta cuando
el nio es mayor, tales como lesiones graves de la cabeza,
accidentes cerebro-vasculares o ciertas infecciones.

(tambin conocido como retraso mental)

Cules son algunos signos del


discapacidad intelectual?
Por lo general, mientras ms grave sea el grado de
discapacidad intelectual, ms temprano se identificarn los
sntomas. Sin embargo, podra ser difcil indicar la manera
como el discapacidad intelectual afectar a los nios ms
tarde en la vida. Hay muchos sntomas de discapacidad
intelectual. Por ejemplo, los nios con discapacidad
intelectual puede que:

se sienten, gateen o caminen ms tarde que otros nios


aprendan a hablar ms tarde o tener problemas para hablar
tengan dificultad para recordar cosas
tengan problemas para entender las reglas sociales
tengan dificultad para ver las consecuencias de sus acciones
tengan dificultad para resolver problemas

Qu puedo hacer si creo que mi hijo


tiene discapacidad intelectual?
Por favor hable con el mdico o enfermera de su hijo.
Si usted o su doctor piensan que podra existir algn
problema, puede llevar a su hijo a un pediatra
especializado en desarrollo u otro especialista; tambin
puede llamar a su agencia local de intervencin temprana
(para nios menores de 3 aos) o su escuela pblica
(para nios de 3 aos o ms). Para averiguar con quin
hablar en su rea, puede comunicarse con el Centro
Nacional de Diseminacin de Informacin para Nios con
Discapacidades (NICHCY, por sus siglas en ingls) ya sea a
travs de su sitio web www.nichcy.org/states.htm. Los
Centros para el Control y la Prevencin de Enfermedades
(CDC) tambin tienen enlaces a pginas con informacin
para las familias en www.cdc.gov/ncbddd.
Para ayudar a su hijo a alcanzar su mximo potencial, es de
suma importancia conseguirle ayuda lo ms pronto posible!

www.cdc.gov/pronto

Aprenda los Signos. Reaccione Pronto.

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