Cognition and mental health

Adolescents with intellectual disability have delayed or impaired cognitive skill development. They learn more slowly, and have difficulty with abstract concepts and transferring learned skills into new settings.

Adolescents with developmental disability may also have difficulty establishing and maintaining:

• friendships and a peer group
• independence
• a sense of their identity.

These are important contributors to wellbeing and mental health.

When supporting an adolescent with developmental disability:

• consider strategies to build on aspects of resilience (eg autonomy, independence, resourcefulness, achievement)
• identify opportunities to enhance social connection (eg participation in activities such as sports and social programs where friendships are likely to develop)
• be more vigilant in families where there is a history of abuse, neglect or depression; there is increased risk of adolescents with developmental disability having contact with the forensic or juvenile justice system
• identify risk factors for, and detect early signs of, psychiatric disorder (see Psychiatric disorders in people with developmental disability)
• refer as appropriate to psychologist or psychiatrist.

For advice on communication assessment, and supporting an adolescent with impaired communication, see Communicating with people with developmental disability. For advice on assessment and clinical support of challenging behaviour, including behavioural emergencies, see Challenging behaviour.

The lack of specific mental health services for people with developmental disability is well recognised. The NDIS can fund access to support workers to help the young person establish social connections and participate in the community. See also Mental health and the NDIS.

Parents often see the gap between their child and peers widening at milestones such as starting secondary school, and may need additional support to manage related grief or distress. The GP should acknowledge and validate the increasing intellectual and social gaps while promoting the view that, like everyone else, their adolescent’s ability to learn will continue to develop throughout their life (unless they have a degenerative condition). See also School and transition from school.