The test for severe impairment

Abstract

Langdon Down is reputed to have given the first comprehensive description of the eponymous syndrome in 1867. Shortly after Down's paper, Fraser and Mitchell reported on a number of cases of "Kalmuc Idiocy" in which they refer to a "precipitated senility" seen in some of their subjects. Due to the high mortality rates of those with Down syndrome (DS), disorders associated with advancing years were rarely seen in this era. Age-related health conditions have only become a particular issue in persons with intellectual disability (ID) and DS in recent decades, as they survive into the age of risk for developing dementia. Studying this subject has resulted in a greater understanding of the aging process in ID and in particular DS.