What is a developmental disability?
According to the California Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 4512, a developmental disability originates before the age of 18 years, will continue indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial handicap for the individual. The types of developmental disabilities include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. Children with developmental delays may also be eligible for services.
The California Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) administers the state's developmental disabilities system, except for work-related services, which are administered by the Department of Habilitation.
Types of Developmental Disabilities
- Mental Retardation
Mental retardation has the essential feature of significantly sub-average intellectual functioning that is accompanied by significant limitations in adaptive functioning in at least two of the following skill areas: communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, work, leisure, health and safety. The onset must occur prior to the age of 18.
The three major known causes of mental retardation are Down Syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and fragile X syndrome.
The Arc has concluded that 2.5 to 3 per cent of the general population has mental retardation. Based on the 1990 census, an estimated 6.2 to 7.5 million people have mental retardation.
- Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a condition which results in a disorder of movement and posture resulting from a non-progressive lesion of the brain acquired during development. "Cerebral" refers to the brain, and "Palsy" refers to paralysis. It can be mild in nature or very debilitating, depending on the severity. Common manifestations may include spastic rigidity of the limbs, disorders of posture and movement, speech articulation difficulties, lack of muscle tone, poor coordination, poor balance, and unusual gait. Education, therapy, and the use of assistive technology can help persons with cerebral palsy lead productive lives.
Approximately 750,000 Americans have Cerebral Palsy.
- Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders
The individual is subject to recurring seizures that may occur without warning. The range of severity is from a brief loss of consciousness, which others may not even recognize, to "grand mal" seizures with powerful convulsions lasting several minutes
- Autism/Autistic Disorder
Autism/Autistic Disorder is a neurological condition characterized by mild to severe difficulties with language, social relating, and sensory stimulation and processing, which in turn often lead to an array of further characteristic traits and behaviors. Autism occurs four times as often in males as females, and the cause is unknown. Severity can vary greatly depending on the developmental level and chronological age of the individual. It must be manifest by the age of 3 years.
Many studies support that as many as 20 people in 10,000 have autism, though in the past decade, there has been an alarming increase in children diagnosed with autism.
- Developmental Delay
A significant difference between an infant's or toddler's current level of functioning and the expected level of functioning and development for his/her chronological age in one or more of the following developmental areas:
1. Cognitive
2. Motor and physical – include hearing and vision
3. Communication
4. Social or emotional
5. Adaptive
- Dual Diagnosis
When an individual has a developmental disability and mental illness, he or she has a "dual diagnosis" and may require more services and assistance than a person with only one diagnosis.
