Everyone has different abilities and develop at different rates, but some people find learning new skills or information difficult; this may be because they are living with intellectual disability.
A person is diagnosed as having intellectual disability if they have both of the following before they are 18 years of age:
- An intelligence quotient (IQ) of approximately 70 or less, as measured on a standardised intellectual assessment test
- Significant difficulty with skills needed for daily living, including communication, taking part in activities with others and self-care
Although everyone is unique and has their own areas of ability and difficulty, there are some areas that many people living with intellectual have difficulty with, including:
- Understanding abstract concepts
- Learning and processing information
- Decoding social cues and the subtleties of interpersonal interactions
- Manipulating ideas and concepts needed for planning and organisiation
Intellectual disability is not the same as mental health.