Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was established in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan in an effort to “increase public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities”. Each year, the month of March is dedicated to individuals with developmental disabilities, highlighting their impact on everyday life and promoting inclusion across the board.
What is a Developmental Disability?
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, a developmental disability is defined as:
- Chronic
- Begins at birth or during childhood
- Adversely affects an individual’s daily living and functioning
Developmental disabilities can be caused by a mental impairment, a physical impairment or a combination of both mental and physical. This can result in limited functions, including:
- Inability to care for oneself
- Difficulties with communication
- Difficulties with learning
- Difficulties with mobility or moving around
- Difficulties making decisions for oneself
- Difficulties living independently
- Being financially self-sufficient
Developmental Disabilities Statistics
1. 15% of children aged 3-17 have at least one or more developmental disabilities. That’s 1 in 6 children that are born today.
2. Developmental disability rates may be as high as 2.5% among the general population
4. The number of children with autism has increased nearly 300% in the past 12 years. This can partially be credited to changes in how autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed.
5. The United States has seen a 17% increase in the amount of developmental disabilities that have been diagnosed in children since 2000.
6. Up to 7.7 million people may have at least a mild developmental disability that affects their life in some way.
7. West Virginia has the highest developmentally disabled population in the 50 states. When territories are included, however, Puerto Rico has the highest population with over 21% of the population having at least one developmental disability.
8. The current unemployment rate for people with a developmental disability who have looked for a job at least once in the last 12 months: 33.5%.
9. The unemployment rate for those with I/DD is 82.2%. It means that there are 1.2 million people in the US who could perform at least a basic job and have a barrier in place preventing that from happening.
10. 1 in 10 people with a developmental disability is not currently working, but is actively looking for work.
11. For those that have full-time employment all year, the average salary of someone with a developmental disability is $36,400 in the US. Connecticut has the highest wages, with an average salary of approximately $50,000.
Provided by Health Research Funding
Developmental Disabilities in the United States
- In 2021, there were approximately 8.56 million people in the United States diagnosed as I/DD.
- 6.31 million children were diagnosed as I/DD, with half possessing a developmental delay
Provided by the University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living
Data from the National Health Interview Survey
- During 2019–2021, the prevalence of any diagnosed developmental disability in children aged 3–17 years increased from 7.40% to 8.56%.
- The prevalence of any developmental disability was lowest in non-Hispanic Asian children compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups.
- The prevalence of intellectual disability increased with age, while the prevalence of other developmental delay decreased with age.
- Boys (4.66%) were more than three times as likely as girls (1.50%) to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Provided by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics
I/DD Demographics
- During 2019–2021, the prevalence of any developmental disability was higher in boys (10.76%) than girls (5.31%)
- The prevalence of any developmental disability was similar across age groups: 8.42% in children aged 3–7, 8.05% in children aged 8–12, and 7.84% in children aged 13–17.
- More than a quarter of American adults (28.7%) report having a functional disability, representing approximately 70 million Americans who navigate daily life with challenges in hearing, vision, mobility, cognition, self-care, or independent living
How We Can Help
At Monarch, we provide a range of programs and services designed to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders. Our mission is to ensure that every person, regardless of their challenges, has the opportunity to live a life of dignity, independence and fulfillment.
Click here to learn more about Monarch’s commitment to individuals with developmental disabilities.
