What is intellectual disability?

1️⃣ ANALYTICAL SUMMARY

Laying the foundations to change perspectives. The document starts from a social observation: openness is progressing but people with intellectual disabilities (ID) still struggle to fully take their place. It targets the general public, volunteers, teams that welcome or interact with these individuals, as well as any group wishing to raise awareness. It treats ID as an state and not an illness, clearly distinguishing between ID and mental health disorders, and recalls the three diagnostic criteria: limitations in intellectual functioning, limitations in adaptive behaviour, onset before the age of 18. ID would concern 1 to 3% of the population.

Guidelines for posture rather than protocols. The operational contribution lies in posture advice and the deconstruction of preconceived ideas. The document equips daily interaction: speaking directly to the person, using short sentences, allowing time, not presuming abilities, following the pace. It recalls the equality of rights (education, paid work, housing, life choices) and the support mechanisms for exercising rights. It does not delve into evaluation or professional support protocols — that is not its function.

2️⃣ KEY POINTS OF THE DOCUMENT

1️⃣ ID is a state, not an illness (p. 5). Central and structuring formulation: individuals do not "suffer" from ID, are not "affected" by it — they live with this state. Direct corollary (p. 10): ID is not "cured", but autonomy can increase with support, stimulation, and an adapted environment.

2️⃣ Three cumulative diagnostic criteria (p. 5). A diagnosis requires significant limitations in intellectual functioning, limitations in adaptive behaviour (conceptual, social, practical skills — money, interactions, daily life) and onset before the age of 18. Only specialists who are members of a professional order (psychologists, neuropsychologists) can make this diagnosis using standardised tests.

3️⃣ Characteristics and prevalence (p. 7). Frequent but not systematic difficulties: time/space awareness, short-term memory, language, concentration, problem-solving, generalisation of acquired strategies, logical connections. ID is presented as the most widespread developmental disorder, affecting 1 to 3% of the population.

4️⃣ Distinction between ID / mental health and comorbidities (p. 10, p. 12). The document emphasises: ID (a condition) should not be confused with a mental health disorder (an illness), even though both can coexist. ID can also be associated with ASD, cerebral palsy, ADHD or epilepsy.

5️⃣ Rights, posture and deconstruction of clichés (p. 13, p. 16, p. 17). Reminder of equal rights (Quebec Charter, art. 10), seven posture tips (“communicate with her”, “be patient”, “cultivate her autonomy”, “do not judge”, “follow her pace”, “be respectful”) and a reasoned dismantling of four false beliefs.

3️⃣ ACTION POINTS FOR LOCAL ACTORS

1️⃣ Open a team time on representations from the page " clichés " (p. 17) : get each professional/volunteer to react to the four preconceived ideas before delivering the document's response. Ideal support for a 30-minute workshop.

2️⃣ Display a welcome posture checklist derived from p. 16 : address the person directly, short sentences, allow time, offer help rather than impose it, follow the pace. To be placed visibly in a welcome area.

3️⃣ Secure the vocabulary in your writings and exchanges by applying the distinction between state/illness (p. 5) : banish " suffers from ", " is affected by ", prefer " person having a / presenting a " intellectual disability.

4️⃣ Clarify the boundary between ID / mental health (p. 10) in internal training, to avoid diagnostic confusion and inappropriate referrals — a recurring point of vigilance in the field.

5️⃣ Map the support networks for rights (p. 14) : in a French context, identify local equivalents (see transposition section) rather than adopting the Quebec framework, which is not applicable.

6️⃣ Develop an accessible version of your own welcome materials in Easy to Read and Understand (see references), as ID specifically pertains to the target audience of Easy to Read and Understand.Unmet need in the document : it does not provide any ready-to-use Easy to Read tools.

4️⃣ ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

🔍➕ For more information, see the articles referenced by "Health Practices" on the topic of mental health and psychiatric health ➡️🔗 https://pratiquesensante.odoo.com/4-2-sante-mentale-et-psychique

1. HAS — Supporting individuals with an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) — Part 1 (RBPP, published online 09/2022, updated 19/11/2025). Establishes the definition and fundamentals of self-determination.
   🔗 https://www.has-sante.fr/jcms/p_3237847/fr/l-accompagnement-de-la-personne-presentant-un-trouble-du-developpement-intellectuel-tdi-volet-1
2. HAS — Supporting individuals with an IDD — Part 2 (RBPP, 18/11/2025). Operational part: education, work and active life, leisure and free time. Presented in easy-to-read sheets.
   🔗 https://www.has-sante.fr/jcms/p_3741239/fr/l-accompagnement-de-la-personne-presentant-un-trouble-du-developpement-intellectuel-tdi-volet-2
3. Unapei — The rules of Easy to Read and Understand (dedicated site launched 10/2024, content kept up to date). Method and official rules for producing Easy to Read and Understand information, with a self-checking list.
   🔗 https://falc.unapei.org/quest-ce-que-le-falc/les-regles-du-falc/

5️⃣ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1️⃣ Is intellectual disability a disease?

No. It is a state with which the person lives; they do not "suffer" from it and are not "affected" by it (p. 5).

2️⃣ How is a diagnosis made?

By a specialist who is a member of a professional order (psychologist, neuropsychologist), using recognised standardised tests, based on three cumulative criteria (p. 5).

3️⃣ What are these three criteria?

Significant limitations in intellectual functioning; limitations in adaptive behaviour (conceptual, social, practical); onset before the age of 18 (p. 5).

4️⃣ Does ID get cured?

No, since it is not an illness. However, support, stimulation, and adaptation of the environment can increase autonomy (p. 10).

5️⃣ Is ID and mental health disorder the same thing?

No. They are two distinct realities that can coexist in the same person, but not systematically (p. 10).

6️⃣ What are the good reflexes for interaction?

Address the person directly, short sentences, allow time, do not infantilise, offer help without imposing it, follow their pace, respect (p. 16).

7️⃣ Can these people study, work, and live independently?

Yes. With the right tools and appropriate support, this "happens every day", even if it may take more time (p. 13, p. 17).

6️⃣ REWRITING IN EASY TO READ LANGUAGE

⚠️ Simplified version for illustrative purposes. A real Easy to Read document requires the review by people with intellectual disabilities (first rule of Easy to Read).

What is intellectual disability?

Intellectual disability is a condition.

It is not an illness.

It cannot be cured.

But we can help the person become more independent.

How do we know?

A specialised doctor conducts tests.

They look at 3 things:

• The person thinks and learns more slowly.
• The person needs help in everyday life.
• This happens before the age of 18.

What is important

Every person is different.

Every person has strengths.

A person with an intellectual disability can learn.

They can work.

They can live in their own accommodation.

How to behave well?

Talk to the person, not just to their companion.

Use short sentences.

Give them time.

Do not decide for them.

Respect their pace.

7️⃣ CROSS-ANALYSIS — VALUES OF HEALTH PRACTICES

• Literacy: the document is easy to access but does not provide an integrated easy-to-read version or a comprehension check tool.
• Empowerment: self-determination is valued implicitly (“cultivating autonomy”, “making choices”), without a concrete capacity-building mechanism.
• Participation: no co-construction mechanism with the people concerned is described in the document itself.
• Community health: the collective dimension appears through the ambition of an “inclusive society”, without a structured community approach.
• Ethics: the work on stereotypes and the distinction between state/illness directly addresses representation biases.
• Human rights: the grounding is explicit (Charters, art. 10), with a reminder of equal rights in all areas of life.
• Intersectorialité : implicit (school, work, housing, care), but without formalised partnerships.
• Partnership: mentioned in the acknowledgements (associations, university), without a detailed collaboration model.
• Fight against discrimination: core of the document (non-judgment, art. 10 on disability, deconstruction of stereotypes).

8️⃣ EVALUATION OF THE RELIABILITY OF THE RESOURCE

Scientific relevance — moderate, to be contextualised. The document benefits from academic endorsement (Mr. Caouette, UQTR) and its content is consistent with accepted benchmarks. Three reservations: (1) it is not dated in the body — the file dates back to 2018, therefore prior to the HAS recommendations 2022/2025 and to the terminological evolution towards “intellectual development disorder (IDD)”; (2) the criterion “ before the age of 18 ” is a simplified formulation: the DSM-5 retains “the developmental period” and the AAIDD 2021 definition sets the threshold before 22 years — a point to note in training; (3) no source is cited to support the figure of 1 to 3% or the lists of causes.

Operational relevance — good for awareness, limited for support. The posture advice (p. 16) and the deconstruction of clichés (p. 17) are directly applicable. However, the legal and institutional framework is entirely Quebecois (Quebec Charter, Public Curator, OPHQ, guardianship/conservatorship): not transposable as is, it requires systematic adaptation for use in France.

🇬🇧 French transposition (essential) : « intellectual disability » → intellectual development disorder (IDD) in the current HAS framework; Quebec Charter → law of 11 February 2005 and UN Convention (CRPD, 2006) ; Public curator / guardianship → legal protection measures reformed by the law of 23 March 2019 (including the family empowerment) ; OPHQ → MDPH ; support relay → ESSMS, IME, ESAT, SAVS/SAMSAH, associative network type Unapei. The diagnosis, in Quebec reserved for psychologists/neuropsychologists, is part of a multidisciplinary pathway in France (CAMSP, CMPP, expert centres TND).

What is already transposable without modification. The conceptual framework fully crosses the border. The distinction between state/illness, the rejection of the phrases “suffers from” / “is affected by”, the three axes of diagnosis (intellectual functioning, adaptive behaviour, developmental onset), the deconstruction of clichés, the posture advice (addressing the person, cultivating autonomy, following the pace) and the orientation of self-determination/inclusion are strictly aligned with the current French framework — notably the HAS IDD recommendations 2022/2025. This part is your reusable foundation.

What needs to be adjusted (terminology and data). Two corrections of rigour. First, align the vocabulary: “intellectual disability” remains perfectly accepted in France in the social and associative field (MDPH, Unapei), but the clinical and HAS reference is now intellectual development disorder (IDD), a category integrated into neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Therefore, at a minimum, the equivalence ID = IDD should be established at the outset. Next, the criterion “ before 18 years old ” should become “ during the development period ”: the DSM-5 has abandoned the fixed threshold, and the AAIDD 2021 definition even places the marker before 22 years old. Retaining “18 years old” as is would be an inaccuracy. Finally, the figure of 1 to 3% would benefit from being backed by a French/European source rather than asserted without reference.

What needs to be replaced (the heart of the problem: the legal and institutional framework). This is where the brochure is not superimposable, but substitutable. The entire system cited is Quebecois and has no validity in France:

• The Quebec Charter (art. 10) and the Canadian Charter → to be replaced by the law of 11 February 2005 (equality of rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship of persons with disabilities), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006) ratified by France in 2010, and the principle of non-discrimination from the Penal Code (art. 225-1).
• The protection regime / guardianship-curatorship / Public Curator → to be replaced by the French regime of legal protection measures (judicial safeguard, guardianship, custody), profoundly reoriented towards support rather than substitution: family habilitation (created in 2015), law of 23 March 2019 which notably restored the voting rights of adults under guardianship and eased the judge's control, and the competence of the judge of protection disputes. The “Public Curator” has no equivalent: it is the judicial representative for the protection of adults (MJPM) who intervenes in the absence of a support network. (The rights of protected adults are evolving regularly, this block should be updated with each reissue.)
• The Office for Persons with Disabilities of Quebec (OPHQ) → MDPH (departmental counter) and CNSA at the national level.
• The mentioned associations (AMDI, PARDI, SQDI) → French ecosystem: Unapei, Us too (self-representation), Down Syndrome 21 France, APF France handicap, etc.

What needs to be added (French specificities absent from the document). Three bricks are missing for complete French use. The detection and diagnostic pathway : where Quebec reserves the diagnosis for psychologists/neuropsychologists of an order, France includes it in a multidisciplinary pathway, with early entry points being the coordination and orientation platforms (PCO), a pillar of the national strategy 2023-2027 for neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, DYS, ADHD, TDI). By the end of 2025, more than 186,000 children had been identified and directed to the PCO for ages 0-6 and 7-12 years, these platforms granting access to a pathway of assessments and interventions with no out-of-pocket costs for families. To be complemented by CAMSP, CMPP and expert TND centres. The schooling and employment : inclusive school (law 2005 then 2019), AESH, ULIS, teaching units, ESAT, supported employment scheme — section 2 of the HAS recommendations (November 2025) specifically addresses schooling, work and leisure and constitutes the reference to be mobilised. Finally, the medico-social offer (IME/IMPro, life homes, FAM, MAS, SAVS/SAMSAH) and the territorial levers that you usually mobilise (ARS, CLS, CPTS if applicable)

9️⃣ STRATEGIC HASHTAGS

#HealthPractices #IntellectualDisability #TDI #SelfDetermination #InclusiveSociety #FALC #FightAgainstDiscrimination #MedicoSocial