Intellectual disability
You deserve information you can use, care that listens and support for your own goals. Learn what intellectual disability means and how an assessment considers everyday life as well as learning.
The assessment considers more than a score.
Intellectual disability involves difficulties in intellectual functioning and adaptive functioning that begin during development. Adaptive functioning means everyday conceptual, social and practical skills. A professional assessment considers these areas together.
A person can have strengths alongside support needs. Assessment needs to consider language, culture and circumstances. An online IQ score cannot establish intellectual disability or tell someone what choices you can make.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Skills, circumstances and support matter together.
- Conceptual skills
Learning and understanding information
- Social skills
Communication in everyday contexts
- Practical skills
Activities and support in daily life
- Your circumstances
Strengths, preferences, language and environment
Assessment looks beyond a single number.
Intellectual disability involves developmental difficulties in intellectual functioning and adaptive functioning, including skills used in everyday life. Professional assessment considers both areas and the person's context. A web quiz or one isolated score cannot provide that assessment.
Support needs differ. Someone may want help understanding information, communicating choices or completing a particular activity. Their preferences and participation should remain part of the conversation.
Intellectual functioning
Learning, reasoning and problem-solving are considered through appropriate professional assessment.
Adaptive functioning
Communication, social participation and practical daily skills are considered in context.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Your everyday needs are individual.
These areas describe what an assessment may consider. They do not assume that every person needs help in every area, or that another person should make decisions for you.
Learning & understanding
Conceptual skills include areas such as learning and understanding information.
Social contexts
Social skills are considered in the context of your communication and everyday relationships.
Daily activities
Practical skills concern activities in daily life and the support you may need.
Your strengths & choices
Your strengths, preferences and environment matter alongside any difficulties.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities · NHS
Ask for an explanation you can understand.
Assessment draws on developmental history, intellectual functioning and everyday adaptive skills. Professionals use appropriate methods and context; a brief website quiz cannot replace this process. Frameworks differ in how developmental onset is defined.
In the UK, ‘learning disability’ usually refers to intellectual disability. It differs from a specific reading or maths difficulty. If a report uses unfamiliar words, ask what they mean for your own support rather than assuming the label explains everything.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities · NHS
- 1What do you want help with?
Choose an activity or question that matters to you.
- 2How do you prefer to communicate?
Ask for a format, enough time or a supporter you want beside you.
- 3What happens next?
Ask who will explain the assessment and help put support in place.
Support should fit your life.
You and an appropriate specialist can discuss support for your own goals.
Based on American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities · NHS
Speak to the person, and make the information accessible.
Ask how the person wants information explained and whether they want a supporter involved. Use time, clear wording and suitable communication methods to help them participate. Do not assume that a supporter should make every decision or that one label tells you everything they understand.
You could ask a service for an accessible explanation of the assessment, the outcome and the next steps. Any separate physical or mental-health concern still deserves appropriate attention.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Find care or prepare a conversation. You can ask for help before you have a diagnosis.
Your first sentence does not need to be perfect.
You can ask who will explain an assessment, what support is available and how your choices will be included. If you want someone beside you, say who. A new health concern deserves attention on its own; a developmental label does not explain every change.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · NHS
“Please explain what this means for my support, in a way I can understand, and include my choices.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Is intellectual disability the same as dyslexia?
They are distinct concepts. Intellectual-disability assessment considers intellectual and adaptive functioning in developmental context; a specific learning disorder concerns a particular pattern of academic-skill difficulties.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
- Intellectual disability: professional assessment
- Definition of intellectual disability
- Learning disabilities: UK terminology and individual support