Kate smiling up at the camera with the word reveal

“Her disability does not define Kate. If anybody would ever think, ‘Oh, she has Down syndrome, she’s not going to be able to do something.’ Then, meet Kate. This is a young woman who can do it all.”

Jen, Kate’s Teacher

What is an intellectual disability?

As described on the Special Olympics’ website, intellectual disability is a term used when a person has certain differences in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills. As is the case for all people, every person with an intellectual disability is unique. Not all people with intellectual disabilities have the same characteristics, although certain characteristics are often more associated with specific conditions (e.g. Down syndrome and friendliness, or Autism and attention to detail). It’s estimated that between 1-3 percent of the global population has an intellectual disability, including 6.5 million people in the United States and as many as 200 million worldwide.

What are the reasons for intellectual disabilities?

The most common causes of intellectual disabilities are:

Genetic conditions: Sometimes an intellectual disability is the result of genes inherited from parents. Examples of genetic conditions are Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and phenylketonuria (PKU).
Circumstances during pregnancy: An intellectual disability can result as a part of how a baby develops inside the mother. Causes vary but may include differences in the ways the baby’s cells divide, infections like rubella, or medications and other substances taken during pregnancy.
Factors arising during birth: If there are complications during labor and birth, such as the baby not getting enough oxygen, he or she may have an intellectual disability.
Diseases or toxic exposure: Diseases like whooping cough, the measles, or meningitis can cause intellectual disabilities. They can also be caused by extreme malnutrition, not getting consistent medical care, or by being exposed to poisons like lead or mercury.