ICD-11 AWARENESS SERIES
Disorder 1: Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD)
Intellectual Developmental Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition where a person has:
• limitations in intellectual functioning
(reasoning, learning, problem-solving)
• and limitations in adaptive functioning
(daily life skills, communication, social responsibility)
It begins during childhood, and it’s about support needs, not worth or potential.
📌 what ICD-11 emphasises (important)
This is key and often misunderstood:
ICD-11 does not diagnose based on IQ alone.
Diagnosis focuses on how a person functions in real life, such as:
• communication
• self-care
• social understanding
• independence appropriate to age
📊 how severity is understood
Severity is described as:
mild
moderate
severe
profound
But this is based on adaptive functioning, not a number on a test.
Support ≠ failure.
Support = access.
🧬 common causes & associations
Intellectual Developmental Disorder may be associated with:
•genetic conditions (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X)
•prenatal factors (e.g., infections, alcohol exposure)
•Perinatal complications
•metabolic or neurological conditions
•Sometimes, no clear cause is identified — and that’s okay.
🚫 what it is NOT
•not laziness
•not poor parenting
•not a personality flaw
•not a fixed limit on growth
People with IDD learn, feel, form relationships, and develop skills — often differently, not deficiently.
🌱 a gentle reminder
A diagnosis describes support needs, not a person’s value.
Dignity is not dependent on ability.
