Health Topic

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities can be physical, mental, or both. The problems are usually life-long, but therapy can help. Learn more.

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Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities are conditions that are usually present at birth. They can affect a child's growth and development. These conditions can cause physical, learning, language, or behavior issues. They can include:

  • Learning disabilities. These conditions affect the ability to learn.
  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a disorder that affects behavior, communication, and social skills.
  • Cerebral palsy (CP). This is a condition that affects movement, coordination, and balance.
  • Physical disabilities. These could include blindness or deafness.
  • Conditions that can affect both physical and mental abilities. This could include Down syndrome.

These conditions can cause lifelong challenges in learning. Completing daily tasks may be difficult. Early treatment may help your child learn important skills and make the most of their strengths.

Developmental disabilities are often present at birth. They can occur due to various reasons. These can include:

  • Genetic or chromosome abnormalities. These cause conditions such as Down syndrome, Fragile-X-Syndrome, and Rett syndrome.
  • Use of substances while pregnant. For example, drinking alcohol when pregnant can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
  • Certain infections during pregnancy.
  • Preterm birth or low birth weight.

The way a developmental disability is diagnosed depends on the condition. Screening tests or a physical exam may be done to check for a medical problem. Other tests and questionnaires may help find out if your child has a developmental disability. These may include:

  • Screening tests that are done during pregnancy or for newborns
  • Developmental and behavioral screening tests or questionnaires to check if your child is developing on schedule
  • Observing your child's behavior and how they interact with other people
  • Testing your child's intellectual and school performance
  • Asking about your family history

If your child has a developmental disability, these are usually lifelong conditions. Often, there is no cure, but treatment can help the symptoms. Treatments can include:

  • Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
  • Special teaching methods
  • Psychological counseling
  • To keep track of how your child grows and changes over time

It sits within Children and Teenagers and Mental Health and Behavior.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Developmental Disabilities

2,778 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Genetics

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Developmental Disabilities. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Developmental Disabilities, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.