Intellectual disability

For a lay person:

Intellectual disability is a lifelong condition, starting in childhood, in which a person has significant difficulty with learning, reasoning and understanding, and with everyday skills such as communication, self-care and social life. It ranges from mild to profound, and people with intellectual disability can learn and live fulfilling lives with the right support.

For a trained medical person:

A neurodevelopmental disorder defined by deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour with onset in the developmental period; causes include genetic conditions (Down syndrome, fragile X and other chromosomal or single-gene disorders), prenatal exposures, perinatal injury, infection and deprivation, though many cases remain unexplained. Assessment combines standardised developmental or cognitive testing, adaptive-function assessment and a search for cause, including genetic testing, hearing and vision checks. Management is multidisciplinary early intervention, special educational support, treatment of co-occurring epilepsy, autism and mental-health conditions, and family support.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Heart and Shen Failed to be Nourished; Liver and Kidney Deficiency; Phlegm Stasis Obstructing Orifices; Kidney Essence Deficiency Syndrome (Congenital Insufficiency). Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor or health visitor about concerns over a child's development, and seek urgent care for seizures or a sudden loss of skills. Herbal remedies should not be given to children or used alongside antiepileptic or psychiatric medicines without medical advice, as interactions are possible.