The language of disability is shifting.  Within Canada, the term “mental retardation” was viewed negatively over the last decades and the terms “developmental disability” and/or “intellectual disability” are now both used.  Often, these terms are used to refer to the diagnosis of mental retardation as defined as an IQ below 70 along with limitations in adaptive functioning and onset before the age of 18 years (DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision, published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)).

The prevalance (how many people have a developmental disability at any give time) is between 1 and 3% of the population (Roeleveld, et al, 1997; Ouellette-Kuntz and Paquette, 2001).

The causes of developmental disabilities are varied and remain unknown in a large proportion of cases. 

Often the known causes are grouped into two categories:

• Genetic - harmful individual genes and aberrant chromosomes 
• Environmental - including physical hazards before, during and after birth, as well as adverse domestic and social circumstances

To a parent, family or caregiver a child is first and foremost an individual human with strengths and abilities.  He or she is a full citizen with rights, who needs a variable amount of “assistance” to achieve full inclusion and engagement in society.

For a full list of our age related programs for Developmental Disabilities please visit Developmental Programs.