Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities A Dynamic Systems Approach

This new reference provides a comprehensive overview of intellectual and developmental disabilities, incorporating multiple perspectives and disciplines (including developmental neuroscience, genetics, psychiatry, and psychology) with a multifaceted approach, offering readers appreciation for the richness of the population and field. It provides readers with an understanding of the developmental, biological, and behavioral aspects of developmental disabilities with the aim of understanding their causes, the differences between disabilities, and familiarity with the prognosis and developmental outcomes for children diagnosed with various developmental disabilities.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- A History of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Current Issues in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Families, Self-Advocates, and Intersectionality.- Genetic Contributions to the Expression of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Epigenetics of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.- Neurobiology of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Inborn Errors of Metabolism.- Prenatal Risk and Later Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Perinatal Risk and Later Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Challenging Behavior in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Mental Health in People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.- Women’s Health and Sexuality.- Down Syndrome.- The FMR1 Phenotype: Premutation and Fragile X Syndrome.- Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Lifespan Overview.- Looking at the Brain.- Behavioral Research Methods in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Maria Gabriela Valdovinos, PhD, is Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. She received her doctorate in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas and completed post-doctoral work at Vanderbilt University's Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Prior to beginning her studies in Kansas, Dr. Valdovinos worked in residential and day treatment settings with adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her experiences in these settings lead to her research interest in evaluating the pharmacological treatment of challenging behavior and the intersection between biological and behavioral events. Dr. Valdovinos is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and of the American Psychological Association, Division 33, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder.