Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Children and Adults: Assessment and Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) welcomes submissions for a Special Issue focused on “Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Children and Adults: Assessment and Treatment”. IJERPH is a multidisciplinary open access journal with fast peer review/publication process, great visibility, and high impact factor (JCR 2018 IF = 2.468; Q1 in SSCI, ‘Public, Environmental & Occupational Health’).

The phenomenon of intellectual and developmental disabilities is complex and heterogeneous. Individuals with IDD present a wide range of abilities, behaviors, and roles within communities and society. As is well known, the etiology of IDD includes multiple causes, such as genetic disorders, and numerous pre-, peri-, and postnatal variables, such as brain trauma, exposure to toxins, poor environmental stimulation, and adverse family interactions, among others. A conclusive etiological explanation remains elusive for most individuals. Despite this high level of heterogeneity, there are three core features that indicate the presence of ID: the person must present (a) a deficit in intellectual functioning, as determined by a substantive subaverage IQ on individually administered intelligence tests, (b) a deficit in adaptive behavior, and (c) these deficits must have originated during the developmental period (usually, before 18 years). Persons with IDD are at higher risk for a number of adverse outcomes, such as social rejection, stigmatization, behavioral and emotional disorders, anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric conditions. Care should be taken not to inappropriately ascribe psychiatric symptoms to IDD itself (“diagnostic overshadowing”).

In recent years, diagnostic and treatment systems of IDD have emphasized the supports that people with IDD require to adequately function in their communities and to achieve their fullest potential. Many efforts have been endeavored to develop accurate, valid and reliable assessment and diagnostic instruments, as well as to design and apply efficient and evidence-based treatment strategies, policies and programs. However, there are still many research gaps around issues such as the psychometric adequacy of assessment and diagnostic systems, what are the most useful strategies for determining the effectiveness of treatment programs, the prevalence of dual diagnosis, the most effective ways of dealing with conduct disorders or challenging behaviors, how to properly diagnose psychiatric disorders in this population, or how to assess and implement support systems, among others.

We invite researchers to send their works (such as empirical studies, literature reviews, theoretical articles, methodological articles, or case studies) on the above mentioned topics, to be considered for publication in this Special Issue.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts (which will be reviewed by peers) is January 31, 2021.

Prof. Dr. Benito Arias
Prof. Dr. Miguel Angel Verdugo
Prof. Cristina Jenaro
Dr. Victor Arias
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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