Move on With Developmental Disabilities – It Isn’t a Show Stopper

In United States developmental disabilities are best described as life-long disabilities that can be either physical or mental impairments or even disabilities that usually develop in a person prior to the completion of teen age. All those disabilities that prove to be a hindrance to the normal day to day activities of an individual are grouped under this.

The capability for independent living, the individual’s learning ability, self-stability, self-direction, expressive and receptive language, self care and mobility. It is based on the individual ailments and one’s own environment, the above mentioned areas get affected negatively and which in turn leads to the development of disabilities. It is always better to get opinions from many doctors when diagnosing for a developmental disability.

Generally, people who are suffering from the below mentioned conditions are put under the scanning for developmental disabilities. Mental retardation, various genetic as well as chromosomal disorders including, but not limited to, Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, cerebral palsy and as well as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The above listed are just a few of the many conditions that may be diagnosed for developmental disabilities.

As described earlier, it is very much difficult for the individuals who are suffering from the above said conditions to lead a normal living, just like the other people. And one should also not forget the fact that raising a child which is suffering from developmental disabilities is equally tough. It is the responsibility of the family members to take care of the individual and help them in their day to day life activities, so as to make them lead a normal life. Most of those people, who suffer from this condition, can usually understand what the problem is and can overcome it with the little help that they require.

The answer to the question “how their lives are led?” usually depends on each and every individual’s capability. Getting things done on time will always be a problem for those suffering from developmental disabilities. Life remains hard for everyone but is exceptionally unfair for those with developmental disabilities. More important that leading a life is having a life. So many babies are born dead and many more get aborted during pregnancy, we are lucky to be born in this world and so are anybody with a disability, so treat them with proper care.

Don’t ever lose hope and have a fighting attitude are the key points one must learn to live with a developmental disability. Always make sure that you live life to its fullest and continue in finding ways to move on. Life will seldom stop throwing many curve balls in a person’s direction and the fact is, it is solely the individual’s responsibility to swing and move ahead. Never ever give up, should be the key words for somebody with developmental disability to adhere, which will help them lead a peaceful life. The best thing a person with developmental disability can do is to accept the pain and find many other beautiful reasons to live his/her life.

The Civil Rights Movement: A Time of Hope for the Developmentally Disabled

Following a long and endless history of torture and suffering, the Civil Rights Movement brought a tide of change for the developmentally and intellectually disabled. After World War 2, several soldiers returned home physically disabled, and the President of the time, Franklin Roosevelt, who himself was afflicted with polio put all his efforts behind the rehabilitation of handicapped soldiers. What started off as rehabilitation of the physically disabled soldiers soon led to a full-fledged movement that demanded that the rights of all disable individuals, including developmentally and intellectually disabled people, be addressed satisfactorily.

The Civil Rights Movement eventually gave birth to the Disabilities Right Movement in the 1960’s, bringing disabled people to the forefront and giving them a chance to express their opinions and voice their demands. The 1970’s saw disabled people coming together in protests to demand basic human rights including opportunities for fair employment, education and shelter. A similar movement, called the Independent-Living Movement made the same demands, asking for laws and amenities that allowed the developmentally and intellectually disabled to live their lives independently, instead of being forced to live in institutions and mental hospitals.

The protests and activism resulted in the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 in the United Kingdom. In the USA, the Rehabilitation Act was created in 1973 followed by the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1980. In 1990, these acts were passed as the law and the historical event was marked by the Disabilities Pride March in Boston.

The ultimate aim of these acts was to integrate disabled people into the society and they successfully and legally eliminated various psychological, social and medical malpractices that the developmentally disabled had to suffer through for years. They were no longer segregated from the rest of the population and had the same legal and social responsibilities as everyone else. They were allowed in schools with the rest of the community and simultaneously special schools and institutions with trained specialists and experts were set up for them. Jobs were created for the disabled and there were rules and laws against the abuse of ill treatment of developmentally disabled individuals.

Technology was growing during these years and this was effectively used to further solve various problems of the developmentally disabled. Elevators and wheelchairs made life easier and various public facilities were adapted to suit the needs of disabled people. From the beginning of the 1960’s, the developmentally disabled found themselves accepted in society. Technology and laws allowed them to live with some semblance of independence and freedom and this gave them the confidence and strength to lead a life of self respect.

Bobby Harris is a driven, experienced and knowledgeable professional within areas such as healthcare, childhood education,abuse intervention and crisis prevention; organizational leadership and intellectual / developmental disabilities.

Living With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

In a world that has been consistently and admirably trying to better itself for people with disabilities, the knowledge among the general population about intellectual and developmental disabilities is still remarkably limited. For those who are relatively new to these terms, here is a quick overview. “Developmental disabilities” is a term that collectively encompasses all kinds of physical and mental disabilities, including Downs Syndrome, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism and all kinds of degenerative neurological diseases. “Intellectual Disabilities,” also often referred by an older and now unofficial term, “Mental Retardation” is simply a branch of developmental disabilities and is scientifically defined as having an IQ score lower than 70. It can range from a mild learning or speech disorder to a more severe diagnosis such as Autism, Williams syndrome or Fragile X syndrome.

History has been particularly unkind towards disabled people and stories of their harsh and often tortuous treatment will shock even the toughest of readers. For centuries, developmental disabilities were looked down upon as a social stigma, or worse, an unacceptable and repulsive disease. While the world today is far more understanding of disabled people, such people still find themselves having to face several barriers and obstructions on the path to freedom and respect. In spite of several difficulties, our generation has been witness to some great personalities who have, with their strength and determination, overcome their developmental disability and created extraordinary lives for themselves. Perhaps the greatest scientist of all time, Stephen Hawking, was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disease called ALS at a very young age. Actors Charles Burke, Warwick Davis and Tom Cruise have had to overcome their developmental disabilities on their path to success and so did some celebrated artists such as Walt Disney and Frida Kahlo.

Transcendent singer Susan Boyle suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome and she had once said about her struggles, “I want to turn my disability into an ability.”

As we have learnt from these iron-willed personalities, nothing is impossible, and there is no reason for a developmental disability to hold anyone back. It may make life seem unfairly difficult, but several organizations exist today that try to provide the support and encouragement such people require turning their disabilities into abilities. Every person should be able to live life fully, if not extraordinarily, and we all deserve to live with a certain degree of freedom and respect. Dignity is is not impossible, even for the developmentally disabled, and the world today is striving hard to raise the standards of living for such people. Organizations for the betterment of the developmentally disabled include experts or simply ordinary people who wish to make a difference in the world. Organizations and individual employees are dedicated to creating a better world for the people of different abilities. People equipped with the necessary knowledge, awareness and training, work towards creating an environment that help empower others.

Bobby Harris is a driven, experienced and knowledgeable professional within areas such as healthcare, childhood education,abuse intervention and crisis prevention; organizational leadership and intellectual / developmental disabilities.

Developmental Disabilities in the 1800’s

At the beginning of the 1800’s, science began attempting to replace religion. Society was encouraged to view the world scientifically, and communities began to hospitalize and medically treat the intellectually and developmentally disabled. The early medical practices towards the disabled were by no means satisfactory and led to several new humiliating experiments and malpractices. Although flawed, this was the first step towards change and a view that developmental disabilities could potentially be a manageable disease rather than a sin.

Developmental disabilities were less looked at as a sin, yet it was still considered to be genetic. Standard thought of the period viewed disabilities as the root of almost all social evils, including alcoholism, prostitution, poverty and violent crimes. For this reason, disabled people, especially those labeled as mentally retarded were sterilized, usually forcefully, in an attempt to control the spreading of disabilities from one generation to the next.

The modern book of the time, called “The Almosts: the Study of the Feeble-Minded,” referred to disabled individuals as “almost human.” In spite of this disgraceful term, the book was instrumental in understanding the condition of the developmentally disabled and trying to provide them with medical treatment. Mental hospitals, also then referred to as “Institutions for Idiots,” were established throughout the United States; one of the first being in Massachusetts in the year 1848. Unlike earlier institutes, where the disabled were humiliated and mocked, the hospitals in the early and mid-1800’s showcased empathy and respect towards the developmentally disabled and mentally retarded patients. It was believed that with the correct approach, disabled people could be trained to take care of themselves and that their disabilities could be managed considerably. For the first time in 1878, Down’s Syndrome was recognized and treated as a separate disability. Studied by Dr. John Langdon Down at the Royal Asylum for Idiots in England, he termed people afflicted by Down’s Syndrome as “Mongoloid Idiots” or “Mongols”. A hospital for epilepsy was created in Ohio in 1878 and the “State Asylum for Unteachable Idiots” was created in New York in the same year. It is evident that terms such as “feeble-minded”, “idiots” and “unteachable idiots” was commonly used to refer to developmentally and intellectually disabled individuals.

While the 1800’s started out as a promising time for the disabled, the treatment and care at hospitals and institutes rapidly degraded and worsened. As an attempt to study severe developmental disabilities were made, the optimism that disabled people could be treated and cured waned. By the late 1800’s, it was widely believed that no proper treatment existed for the disabled and such people were again subjected to ridicule and abuse. Institutes turned into asylums for the mentally retarded; the only place they could find shelter in but also a place where they were mistreated and humiliated. Often the disabled were chained to their beds all day in these asylums and any medical treatment they were initially provided, was soon given up on.

Bobby Harris is a driven, experienced and knowledgeable professional within areas such as healthcare, childhood education,abuse intervention and crisis prevention; organizational leadership and intellectual / developmental disabilities.

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