Question
A four-year-old child’s speaking ability has not fully developed, and the parents suspect intellectual disability. How is intellectual disability diagnosed?
Answer
Intellectual disability refers to a slow or incomplete development of brain functions, leading to limitations or difficulties in learning and social adaptation, compared to the average person. This condition can be detected in infancy or childhood, unlike the sudden onset of general diseases or mental illnesses. Intellectual disability is a permanent impairment, not a disease or mental illness, and it is not curable by medication. However, individuals with intellectual disabilities can expand their limited potential through training, enhancing their ability to live independently. Early detection of the cause may present treatment opportunities. Early intervention should be implemented before school age, with individualized treatment and education that employs a comprehensive approach from medicine, psychology, and education.