Intellectual Disability Awareness

The term intellectual disability is used to refer to problems someone may have in understanding and processing information and in carrying out every-day tasks independently. Lots of different terms have been used over the years, with changes in terminology occurring as societies became more open to and aware of the areas of ability people with this label have and the many ways in which they participate and contribute to their own communities. In the UK, the term learning disability is used. In Ireland, Australia and the US, the term intellectual disability is used. The Irish Government collects information about people with intellectual disability using a database called the National Intellectual Disability Database. In their last report, they stated that there were 27,324 people with intellectual disability in Ireland, indicating a prevalence rate of 5.96 per 1,000 population (Kelly, 2012, p18). People with intellectual disability may have an underlying genetic condition such as Downs Syndrome. Their difficulties may have been due to problems during pregnancy or at birth. Some people who have diagnosis of intellectual disability may also have an additional diagnosis of autism or cerebral palsy.

The following websites provide further useful information:

1. http://www.mencap.org.uk/all-about-learning-disability/about-learning-disability 2. http://www.communitylivingontario.ca/about-us/what-intellectual-disability 3. http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2543 4. http://www.hrb.ie/health-information-in-house-research/disability/nidd/ 5. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Intellectual_d

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6. http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/ 7. http://autism.ie/