Approximately 2.5 million people in the United States--one percent of the population--have an intellectual disability (previously referred to as mental retardation). These conditions range from genetic disorders such as Down syndrome to disabilities caused by infectious diseases and brain injury. Intellectual Disability: A Guide for Families and Professionals, by one of the country's foremost authorities on intellectual disability, is a comprehensive resource that will be of importance to anyone with a personal connection to a child or adult with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Emphasizing the humanity of persons with intellectual and related developmental disabilities, psychiatrist and pediatrician James Harris provides essential information on assessment and diagnosis of intellectual disability, treatments for specific disorders, and ways to take advantage of the wide array of services available today. The focus throughout is on the development of the person, the positive supports necessary for self-determination, and, to the extent possible, independent decision making. Harris also surveys historical attitudes toward intellectual disability, the medical community's current understanding of its causes and frequency, and the associated physical, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions (such as seizure disorder, depression, and autism) that often accompany particular types of intellectual disability. The book addresses legal, medical, mental health, and research-related issues as well as matters of spirituality, highlighting the ways in which individuals with intellectual disability can meaningfully participate in the spiritual lives of their families and their communities. Each chapter ends with a series of key points to remember, and the book concludes with a list of additional resources of further interest. Intellectual Disability is a must-read for parents and families of those with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing guidance and essential information to help their family members effectively, and to make a significant, positive difference in their lives now and in the future.

Children living in poverty are more likely to have mental health problems, and their conditions are more likely to be severe. Of the approximately 1.3 million children who were recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits in 2013, about 50% were disabled primarily due to a mental disorder. An increase in the number of children who are recipients of SSI benefits due to mental disorders has been observed through several decades of the program beginning in 1985 and continuing through 2010. Nevertheless, less than 1% of children in the United States are recipients of SSI disability benefits for a mental disorder. At the request of the Social Security Administration, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children compares national trends in the number of children with mental disorders with the trends in the number of children receiving benefits from the SSI program, and describes the possible factors that may contribute to any differences between the two groups. This report provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and the levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. The report focuses on 6 mental disorders, chosen due to their prevalence and the severity of disability attributed to those disorders within the SSI disability program: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and mood disorders. While this report is not a comprehensive discussion of these disorders, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children provides the best currently available information regarding demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and expectations for the disorder time course - both the natural course and under treatment.

This handbook offers a comprehensive review of intellectual disabilities (ID). It examines historical perspectives and foundational principles in the field. The handbook addresses philosophy of care for individuals with ID, as well as parent and professional issues and organizations, staffing, and working on multidisciplinary teams. Chapters explore issues of client protection, risk factors of ID, basic research issues, and legal concerns. In addition, chapters include information on evidence-based assessments and innovative treatments to address a variety of behaviors associated with ID. The handbook provides an in-depth analysis of comorbid physical disorders, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and seizures, and developmental coordination disorders (DCD), in relation to ID. Topics featured in this handbook include: Informed consent and the enablement of persons with ID. The responsible use of restraint and seclusion as a protective measure. Vocational training and job preparation programs that assist individuals with ID. Psychological and educational approaches to the treatment of aggression and tantrums. Emerging technologies that support learning for students with ID. Key sexuality and relationship issues that are faced by individuals with ID. Effective approaches to weight management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Handbook of Intellectual Disabilities is an essential reference for researchers, graduate students, clinicians and related therapists and professionals in clinical child and school psychology, pediatrics, social work, developmental psychology, behavioral therapy/rehabilitation, child and adolescent psychiatry, and special education.

In a challenge to current thinking about cognitive impairment, this book explores what it means to treat people with intellectual disabilities in an ethical manner. Reassessing philosophical views of intellectual disability, Licia Carlson shows how we can affirm the dignity and worth of intellectually disabled people first by ending comparisons to nonhuman animals and then by confronting our fears and discomforts. Carlson presents the complex history of ideas about cognitive disability, the treatment of intellectually disabled people, and social and cultural reactions to them. Sensitive and clearly argued, this book offers new insights on recent trends in disability studies and philosophy.

This book brings together findings from research and clinical practice, with comprehensive coverage of the important aspects of mental health in ageing persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is crucial for professionals involved in the care of persons with all intellectual and developmental disabilities to have a broad understanding of the essential range of issues, and therefore this book provides a truly multi-disciplinary perspective, complete with many figures and illustrations to underline the key points. Undoubtedly, research and clinical practice are much more advanced in the general ageing population than in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and so professionals and academics must be made fully aware of commonalities and idiosyncrasies of older people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This book presents the ongoing developments concerning mental health and aging, which will become relevant to the intellectually disabled population. Through experience, this book also acknowledges that the impact on the persons themselves and on their carers always needs to be taken into account, with treatment programs established with a multi-faceted team approach in mind. Avoiding the jargon of many titles in this area while maintaining the hands-on approach of clinical practice, this book meshes the practical and scientific worlds, with all chapters written by leading experts in the field. Beyond the US, the IASSIDD support expands the book message worldwide.

This book takes as its starting point the concept of 'the good life' and the challenge of ensuring people with intellectual disabilities are included in 'the good life.' The book explores the values underpinning current discourses of disability, analyzes their strengths and limitations, and proposes some alternative approaches to theory and practice. It deconstructs key concepts, theories, and practices within the learning disability field in the post institution era, and it identifies the values, strengths, and limits of these approaches. The book explores the boundaries around those included in the category 'disabled,' those on its margins, and those who move in and out of this category. It also proposes some alternative formulations to existing theories and practices, and explores their practical implications for the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Using evidence from the UK, Australia, Bangladesh, and the Republic of Ireland, People with Intellectual Disabilities bu

This book provides easy-to-access, reliable, up-to-date information on the numerous advances in research, assessment, treatment, and service delivery for clinicians, academics, administrators and other mental health professionals. It examines issues surrounding intellectual and developmental disabilities in a real-world sociopolitical framework. In addition, the book summarizes the major domains and emerging subspecialties of this vast area into one useful reference and so offers a wide range of assessment and diagnostic tools and tactics, including cognitive and adaptive behavior assessments.