Prevention

A child with developmental or intellectual disabilities is born every two minutes, some because of preventable causes like a pregnant mother’s alcohol use. Other children may incur a disability from exposure to lead, mercury or other materials. Brain injuries can often be prevented.

You can’t always prevent developmental or intellectual disabilities. But you can do more than you think. So do this:

Primary Prevention

Eliminate intellectual and other developmental disabilities before they happen. Get good prenatal care and prevent catastrophic illnesses, poisonings, abuse and neglect. Get help to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome or disabilities caused by the use of drugs.

Secondary Prevention

Identify the problem early so its severity may be minimized. Get a newborn screening and watch through your child’s early years, then use medical care, socialization education and therapy.

Tertiary Prevention

Control and minimize the long term effects of intellectual and other developmental disabilities through programs and services designed to meet an individual’s specific needs.