What is a developmental disability?

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Developmental Disability Defined According to Lanterman Act

“Developmental disability” means a disability that originates before an individual attains 18 years of age; continues, or can be expected to continue, indefinitely; and constitutes a substantial disability for that individual.

This term shall include intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. This term shall also include disabling conditions found to be closely related to intellectual disability or to require treatment similar to that required for individuals with intellectual disability, but shall not include other handicapping conditions that are solely physical in nature (Lanterman Act, Sec 4512 (a)).

Typically, an individual that is determined to have a developmental disability will have impairments in three or more areas.

(A) Self–care
(B) Receptive and expressive language
(C) Learning
(D) Mobility
(E) Self–direction
(F) Capacity for independent living
(G) Economic self–sufficiency
From Lanterman Act, Sec 4512 (a) and Sec 4512 (l)

Additional developmental disabilities or birth defects as noted by CDC are:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Fragile X Syndrome
Hearing Loss
Kernicterus
Muscular Dystrophy
Tourette Syndrome
Vision Impairment

Below is a general overview of the developmental disabilities related to ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Fragile X Syndrome, Intellectual Disability:

ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood.

People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active. Although ADHD can’t be cured, it can be successfully managed and some symptoms may improve as the child ages.

From http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. These conditions are now all called autism spectrum disorder.”

Autistic disorder is present before the age of 3 and lasts throughout a person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time.
From www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is due to a non-progressive brain abnormality, which means that it does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime. People with cerebral palsy have damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle tone. Muscle tone is the amount of resistance to movement in a muscle. It is what lets you keep your body in a certain posture or position. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. CDC estimates that an average of 1 in 323 children in the U.S. have CP.

From www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/index.html

Epilepsy

Epilepsy, sometimes referred to as seizure disorder, is a general term that refers to a tendency to have recurrent seizures. There are many kinds of seizures, but all involve abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes an involuntary change in body movement of function, sensation, awareness, or behavior.

Symptoms can vary from a momentary disruption of the senses, to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells, to convulsions.

Epilepsy can be caused by many different conditions that affect a person’s brain. Often no definite cause can be found. Epilepsy cannot be transmitted from person to person.
From www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/basics/faqs.htm

Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common known cause of inherited intellectual disability. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder. A genetic disorder means that there are changes to the person’s genes. FXS is caused by changes in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. The FMR1 gene usually makes a protein called fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). FMRP is needed for normal brain development.

FXS affects both males and females. However, females often have milder symptoms than males. The exact number of people who have FXS is unknown, but it has been estimated that about 1 in 5,000 males are born with the disorder. ¹

From http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fxs/facts.html

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability is characterized both by a significantly below-average score on a test of mental ability or intelligence and by limitations in the ability to function in areas of daily life, such as communication, self-care, and getting along in social situations and school activities. Intellectual disability is sometimes referred to as cognitive disability or mental retardation.

Children with intellectual disability can and do learn new skills, but they develop more slowly than children with average intelligence and adaptive skills. There are different degrees of intellectual disability, ranging from mild to profound. A person’s level of intellectual disability can be defined by their intelligence quotient (IQ), or by the types and amount of support they need.
From www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddmr.htm
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Sources

Am J Hum Genet. 2009 Oct;85(4):503-14. Incidence of fragile X syndrome by newborn screening for methylated FMR1 DNA. Coffee B, Keith K, Albizua I, Malone T, Mowrey J, Sherman SL, Warren ST.
Center of Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/index.html
Department Developmental Services: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=WIC&division=4.5.&title=&part=&chapter=1.6.&article=