Diagnosis of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are disorders that are present at birth that negatively affect the trajectory of an individual’s intellectual, physical, and emotional development.

Children with IDDs usually require help from caregivers or nursing assistants. So, parents need to know ahead of time whether their child is predisposed to any of these conditions.

The diagnosis of an intellectual disability is typically made through a test of intelligence or cognition. This is then assessed by the range of scores on an Intelligence Quotient test. This test will help the health care provider examine the person’s abilities to think, learn, solve problems, and make sense of the world around him or her. Health care providers will also observe the child’s behavior.

Conditions that pose a risk to IDDs may also be diagnosed with a blood test, ultrasound, or other methods, depending on the condition. These tests may be done during pregnancy or after birth. Some useful diagnostic tools did prenatally include:

• Amniocentesis
  Amniocentesis is done to determine whether a fetus has a genetic disorder. The clinician will extract a small amount of fluid from the womb and examine the genetic material in it for any problems.
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
  This test extracts cells from the chorionic villi, the tissues in the placenta, and examine them for any genetic problem. CVS can be used to test for chromosomal disorders like Down Syndrome.

The above-mentioned tests are ordered by your healthcare provider if you have a family history of certain conditions that may pose a risk of genetic problems to your child. To know more about IDDs, avail of reliable healthcare services in Virginia.

For pediatric care and assistance, call Gateway Healthcare Services LLC today. We are a home care service provider in Fairfax, Virginia.