Developmental disability
A developmental disability is an disability that starts when someone is very young.
Some examples of developmental disabilities are:
- Autism
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Down syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Dyspraxia
- Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia
- Fragile X syndrome
- Intellectual disability
- Fetal alcohol syndrome
Developmental disabilities can make some things harder. Some people can't speak out loud. Some people need extra help learning how to read. Developmental disabilities can be mental or physical or both. Sometimes developmental disability can be diagnosed when someone is young. For example, if a child has trouble walking, they might have a developmental disability. Sometimes developmental disability isn't diagnosed until later. Some autistic people are diagnosed as adults. They were still autistic as babies, but it is hard to tell sometimes.
Causes
There are many causes for developmental disabilities. Doctors don't know most of the causes. Most developmental disabilities are genetic. You inherit genes from both of your parents. Sometimes when you inherit genes from your parents, there is a mutation. A mutation is an unexpected change in your genes. Some mutations cause developmental disabilities like Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
Some developmental disabilities are caused by outside conditions. For example, fetal alcohol syndrome can be caused by the mother drinking alcohol while pregnant. Sometimes lead poisoning can also cause developmental disabilities.