I. Leslie Rubin

Introduction to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Intellectual disability (ID) is the term used to describe a condition defined by limits in cognitive and adaptive abilities that affect function and initially manifest before 18 years of age. This term supplanted the earlier term ‘mental retardation’ within the past two decades. The term developmental disability (DD) was coined de novo in the 1970s when the Developmental Disabilities Act of the US Congress was passed. While an ID is determined by formal psychometric testing to assess the intelligence quotient and adaptive functioning, the term DD is more generic and may include elements of physical limitations in addition to the ID. Both terms are often used interchangeably and have been blended into the term intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to be inclusive for or all individuals who have limitations in cognitive as well as physical functions that are: based on central nervous system dysfunction, manifest in the childhood years, and have lifelong implications. Our goal as members of society is to support and enhance the function of children and adults with IDD and their families and to assure optimal physical, emotional and social well-being in order for them to lead fulfilling lives.

Break the cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children.

No abstract available.

A Glimpse into the Future

There are a number of opposing principles in the minds and lives of human beings and among groups of human beings. Some of the opposing principles are captured in myth, culture and religion, for example the Chinese philosophical concept of yin and yang. Yin is the passive, negative force in the universe, while yang is the active, positive force. Yet, in Chinese culture, the yin and yang are complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Conceptualizing this duality is very helpful in examining the behavior of people and societies with respect to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) over the course of time.