Intellectual disability

Overview

Intellectual disability is a lifelong condition that affects the way that a person thinks and learns, as well as how they act in different situations. Intellectual disability can cause difficulties in:

• Communication
• Memory – remembering facts, instructions or events
• Understanding – grasping new ideas or concepts
• Problem-solving
• Self-care
• Social and emotional skills – interacting with others and managing feelings
• Physical coordination.²

Intellectual disability can be present at birth or be acquired before the age of 18 years. Some of the most common conditions that cause intellectual disability include:

• Down syndrome(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Fragile X syndrome(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Prader-Willi syndrome(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Rett syndrome(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder(Opens in a new tab/window))
• Premature birth(Opens in a new tab/window) 
• Childhood brain injury. ³

Intellectual disability can occur with other disabilities. For example, some Autistic people may also have co-occurring intellectual disability.⁴

Intellectual disability and work

People with intellectual disability experience lower rates of employment compared to people with other types of disability.⁵ In addition, when they find work, they are less likely to work in open employment than people with other types of disability. 

The reasons for these low employment rates often create a vicious cycle: many people, including family members, employers, teachers, career advisors, and sometimes people with intellectual disability themselves do not believe that they are capable of working. Because of this, work is often not considered as a possible option, which confirms the low expectations.⁶ 

However, this cycle can be broken. Read more about ways to do this [link to Laying foundations for work].

People with disability have a right to work in an open, inclusive and accessible workplace. For people with intellectual disability, good inclusive employment means that:

• they are a part of the regular workforce along with people without disability
• they are given clear information about their role
• their employers have a good understanding of their needs
• their co-workers are supportive and respectful
• their role matches their skills
• they are paid fairly on the same basis as other employees
• they are included as part of the team in the workplace
• they have the opportunity to move up in their job.⁷

Key strategies for success

People with intellectual disability can find and keep work with the right supports and planning. Factors that can help a person with intellectual disability include:

• a connected, strong network of supporters including family, services and community members who can help to identify work opportunities
• champions within workplaces to support and promote greater inclusion and welcome staff members with intellectual disability to the organisation
• a creative and proactive approach to finding job opportunities
• jobs that are flexible and suited to the person’s skills and needs.⁸

See Getting to know the jobseeker(Opens in a new tab/window) for more information.

A note on language: In the past, some of the words used to describe intellectual disability were not respectful. Now, the term ‘person with intellectual disability’ is the preferred term, although some people prefer ‘disabled person’.