Diagnosis, Causes & Prevalence

The aim of this section is to describe prenatal screening procedures and tests designed to assess the functioning of children and adults. It will cover not just the technical aspects of these procedures, but the impact which the process of testing per se has on parents and on individuals who are themselves thought to have intellectual and other disabilities.

A number of genetic and behavioural syndromes are discussed in some detail, in many cases with statistical information on their prevalence in a variety of populations. The effects of maternal malnutrition and pre- and antenatal environment on the development of intellectual disabilities are also brought to the attention of the reader. These authors offer their experience of initiatives which have addressed these causes, often very successfully.

Antenatal Screening
Autism
Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Controversial issues in Autism
Brain Development
Classification and Assessment of Psychiatric Disorders in Adults with Learning [Intellectual] Disabilities
Down's Syndrome
Environmental Health
Experience of a cognitive assessment
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: An Overview
Fragile X
Genetics of Down's Syndrome
Informed choice in prenatal testing
Confronting The Distortions: Mothers Of Children With Down Syndrome And Prenatal Testing
Psychological Treatment for People with Learning Disabilities
Recognising Psychosis in Nonverbal Patients