The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders
- Ellen Braaten - Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School
According to the CDC “about one in six, or about 15%, of children aged 3 through 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities,” such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and learning disability.
Intellectual disorders are characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills, impacting learning, reasoning, problem solving, and other cognitive processes. These disabilities originate before the age of 18 and continue across the life span. Developmental disorders are chronic disabilities that can be cognitive or physical or both. The disabilities appear before the age of 22 and are likely to progress across the lifespan. Some developmental disorders are largely physical issues, such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Some individuals may have a disorder that includes a physical and intellectual disability; for example, Down syndrome or fetal alcohol syndrome.
Intellectual and developmental disorders are significant and growing issues that are studied across a number of disciplines. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders is aimed at students interested in psychology, counseling, education, social work, psychiatry, health sciences, and more. This encyclopedia will provide an in-depth look at a wide range of disorders, alongside interventions, the latest research translated for an undergraduate audience, historical context, and assessment tools for higher-level students. We will take a truly interdisciplinary approach by also covering sociocultural viewpoints, policy implications, educational applications, ethical issues, and more.
"The encyclopedia is broad in scope but coverage of individual topics is not intended to be exhaustive; rather, this should be a good place for researchers to find foundational material and sources for further research. The target audience is students in a variety of fields: psychology, psychiatry, counseling, education, social work, health sciences, and more. The book can be used for courses and research in clinical psychology, child development, health sciences, nursing, human development, and family studies. The book ends with lists of disorder classifications according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (5th ed., used in the United States) and the International Classification of Diseases (10th ed). There is also a list of IQ classification ratings and lists of tests commonly used to evaluate developmental disorders. This encyclopedia is recommended to academic libraries."