Developmental Disabilities

What is a developmental disability?
DEFINITIONS

Developmental Disability: a severe, chronic disability of a person

	♦ is attributable to a mental or physical impairment, or combination of physical or mental impairments
	♦ is manifested before age 22
	♦ is likely to continue indefinitely
	♦ results in substantial functional limitations in three or more areas:
	♦ results in substantial functional limitations in three or more areas:

	– self care
	– receptive & expressive language
	– learning
	– capacity for independent living
	– economic self-sufficiency

♦ is person needs lifelong or extended, individually planned, coordinated care, treatment & services.

MENTAL RETARDATION

	♦ significant sub average intellectual functioning (IQ 70 or below)
	♦ demonstrated deficits in adaptive behavior
	♦ manifests these conditions before the person's 22nd birthday

	– children under age 5 with significant sub average intellectual functioning concurrently with severe deficits in adaptive behavior, with no diagnosis due to their age.
	– mobility
	– self direction

RELATED CONDITIONS

♦ severe chronic disability that meets all of these requirements:

	– attributable to cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, Prader-Willi syndrome, traumatic brain injury, or another condition other than mental illness or emotional disturbance that is found to be closely related to mental retardation because the condition results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of persons with mental retardation, AND
	– requires treatment or services similar to those required for persons with mental retardation, AND
	– is manifested before the person's 22nd birthday.

ASSESSMENT

	♦ Determines strengths and needs of an individual
	♦ Basis for identifying and developing services based on those needs
	♦ Avoids "over serving" people
	♦ Provides the foundation for the individual service plan

ASSESSMENT AREAS

BASIC NEEDS: shelter, food, clothing, financial management, need for assistive technology.

HEALTH & SAFETY: medical, dental, vision, hearing; mental health & emotional well being; personal safety.

SOCIAL SKILLS & INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: interaction with co-workers, family, friends, neighbors; need for assistance/training to enhance social interactions.

COMMUNICATION: both receptive and expressive communication; verbal or non-verbal.

SELF CARE: eating, dressing, and hygiene including bathing, hair, combing, shampooing.

HOME LIVING SKILLS: clothing care skills, housekeeping, food preparation, shopping, home maintenance.

COMMUNITY USE: leisure and recreation skills, ability to use community resources, opportunity to use those resources, transportation and mobility to access community resources.

EMPLOYMENT & VOCATIONAL SKILLS: assessing skills so a valued contribution to the community can be made.

EDUCATIONAL SKILLS & COGNITIVE ABILITIES: not just an IQ score, helps determine the need for services, kind of supervision needed, assistance needed, and what training methods work best (hand over hand, example, verbal directions).

LEGAL REPRESENTATION: determining person's ability to make choices, use information to make decisions, indicate preference, determining the need for a substitute decision-maker or guardian or conservator.

To receive case management (Rule 185) from our agency an individual needs to meet the criteria of being diagnosed with a developmental disability and/or related condition.

Contact Faribault Center at (507) 526-3265 or Martin Center at (507) 238-4757and ask for Social Services Intake. This person will take down the information and/or request for services and give to the appropriate personnel.