What is an Intellectual Disability?

An intellectual disability also referred to as a developmental disability, is a term used to describe any condition that includes a lifelong impairment to a person’s ability to learn or adapt to their environment.

An intellectual disability is not the same as a mental illness, psychological disability, learning disability, or psychiatric condition. An intellectual disability refers to a group of disorders in one or more central nervous system processes, causing a disability to appear in one or several of the following: reasoning, processing, memory, calculation, coordination, social interaction and emotional articulation. People with intellectual disabilities do not necessarily have a recognizable condition. The degree of disability can vary greatly from person to person, as everyone is an individual.

Some examples of intellectual disabilities include Down Syndrome and William's Syndrome.

Although not an intellectual disability, people on the Autism Spectrum are also welcome to join Best Buddies.