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Developmental disabilities - definitions Developmental disabilities represent a cluster of disorders that usually become evident during childhood and last through life. These disabilities may affect a person's ability to learn, speak, understand spoken/written language, make decisions, or live independently. People with developmental disabilities experience differing degrees of a few, some, or all of these effects. It is important to understand that impaired cognitive functioning may be a subset of some developmental disabilities, but it is not associated with all.Developmental disabilities are not diseases and are not "curable". However, a nurturing environment, paired with life experience, learning opportunities and adaptive therapies and technologies can significantly improve a person's functional abilities and independence. What are the more common developmental disabilities? The descriptions below are not a comprehensive list of all developmental disabilities. The variation between people with the same disability may be vast. Some people may live with more than one disability including other developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, or disabilities associated with aging. Note: A person with a disability is just that, a person. Always put the person first. Every person deserves to be treated with respect and consideration, especially when dealing with issues of abuse and neglect. Some of the more common developmental disabilities are:
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