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Understanding Intellectual Disability

Upon your loved one’s diagnosis, it is important to seek more information on their disability, its implications, and available interventions. This can help you plan and care for them.

  Key Points

  • Intellectual disability is characterised by limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour. 
  • These limitations are typically evident in the individual’s developmental period (before they turn 18).

Intellectual disability is characterised by limitations in intellectual functions such as reasoning, learning, problem-solving and adaptive behaviour, affecting one’s communication, social and practical skills1.

The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is typically used to define the level of such limitations. With an IQ level of 70 or below, persons with intellectual disabilities face mild to profound difficulties in performing activities of daily living. Intellectual disability often co-occurs with other medical conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy and epilepsy2.

Knowing the severity of your loved one’s intellectual disability can help you understand how it impacts their daily living, needs and learning strategies. This will help you develop an appropriate care plan for them.

Characteristics

Common signs of intellectual disability3in the earlier stages of a child’s life include:

  • Not meeting developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, walking or speaking.
  • Slow mastering of tasks like toileting, dressing, and feeding themselves.

If you observe any of these signs in your child, do seek assistance from a doctor or paediatrician as soon as possible.

Communicating with a doctor

To better understand your loved one’s needs, here is what you can prepare before meeting a doctor:

Prepare information4

  1. Detailed observations of your loved one’s behaviours and challenges in meeting developmental milestones 
  2. Your loved one’s current and past health issues. 
  3. Current medication for your loved one, including when and how often they take it.
  4. Side effects observed in your loved one from taking medication, if any. 

Questions you can ask

  1. What is the diagnosis and the cause of the condition?
  2. What is the prognosis? Will the condition be stable or it will get better or worse?
  3. What are the interventions available and their objectives?  How will you measure progress?
  4. Are there any other associated conditions that you should be aware of?
  5. What is the impact on your loved one’s daily living?
  6. What can you do to help your loved one?
Tip: Clarify unfamiliar and technical terms with the doctor. 
 

  Key Points

  • There are various types of support available for persons with intellectual disabilities, such as early intervention and assistive technology.

Before selecting an appropriate intervention for your loved one, you can seek professional advice on the options available, their costs and implications. Learn more about these interventions, including how assistive technology (AT) can help your loved one

Early intervention programmes (such as the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC)) can help young children with intellectual disabilities maximise their developmental growth potential and acquire necessary communication, mobility and social skills. Depending on your loved one’s needs and abilities, they can enrol in either a Special Education (SPED) school or a mainstream primary school from the age of seven.

Interventions may also be costly, so it is important to plan your finances or seek financial aid before making a decision.

Actions to take

  • For young children with intellectual disabilities, you can enrol them in the early intervention programmes when recommended. 
  • Plan your finances or seek financial aid when developing a care plan and evaluating the interventions.

  Key Points

  • While caring for your loved one, it is important to identify and reduce exposure to factors which may worsen their health.
  • There are various organisations dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual disability.

As persons with intellectual disabilities are more prone to developing health conditions like diabetes or mental health issues5, staying aware of risk factors for these conditions will help you to identify preventive actions to take or understand how to support and maintain your loved one’s health.

Depending on the ability of your loved one, you may need to support them in performing certain daily living tasks such as preparing meals, paying bills, and running errands. If your loved one has speech and communication issues, you may need to speak on their behalf, especially when communicating with health professionals.

You can approach the following organisations for additional support:

  1. Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN)
  2. Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
  3. Down Syndrome Association (DSA)

Supporting your loved one in their building of functional skills such as social skills, community living and self-care6 will enable them to live more independently.

 Resources


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