When a child is struggling with delays, it can be hard to know how to help. At Nexus, we create a safe space for kids to grow and advance, while gaining the skills and support they need.
What does it mean to be intellectually or developmentally delayed and have special needs?
An intellectual delay or disability can occur for a youth who has an IQ of less than 70–75. This can mean they are a little slower than average to learn new information and will function below their current age.
A developmental delay is a long-term disability that can affect cognitive ability, physical functioning, or both. Brain damage can result in a developmental disability.
What’s the difference between an intellectual and a developmental delay?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. Both can impact a child’s ability to process and comprehend information. Both can affect a child’s response rates—physically and/or emotionally. Both can slow the pace for learning new information and skills—and retaining it. And both can affect a child’s ability to acclimate to new environments.
The primary difference is that a developmental disability most likely also includes a physical disability, whereas an intellectual delay does not. Whatever the cause, we take care to assess, treat, and attend to the individual needs of each child.
Based on each child’s individual and family needs, we use some or all of the following treatment approaches:
- Psychological and Psychiatric Assessments
- Clinical Evaluations
- Therapy – Individual, Family, and Group
- Counseling – Individual, Family, and Group
- Psycho-Education – Individual, Family, and Group
- Psychiatric Oversight (to include Medication Management)
- Experiential Therapy – Sensory, Movement, Sand, Animal Interactions, and Play
- Research-Based Techniques for Trauma Healing – EMDR (Eye Movement De-Sensitization Reprocessing) and/or TF-CBT (Trauma Focused – Cognitive Based Therapy)
- Daily Activity and Recreation
- Vocational Skill Development
- Education/School (at the appropriate grade and functional level)
- Referrals – for Substance Abuse Treatment and/or Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapies