People with an intellectual impairment learn and develop intellectually at a slower rate than average. Just as some people are quick to learn how to do certain things, others learn more slowly or need more help to understand. There are also differences in the range of abilities of people with an intellectual impairment.

They may experience difficulty in tasks related to daily living, social adjustment, and gaining financially viable employment. The amount of difficulty an individual experiences will depend on the extent of intellectual impairment and whether there are additional physical or sensory impairments (Intellectual Disability Services, 1995).

However, intellectual impairment should NOT be confused with specific learning disabilities. Specific learning disability usually refers to problems with reading, writing and mathematics, but those people usually have average or above average intelligence.

Similarly, intellectual impairment should not be confused with acquired brain injury. People with brain injuries usually retain their intellectual abilities but have difficulty controlling, coordinating, and communicating their thoughts and actions (Brain Injury Association of Queensland Inc).

People with an intellectual impairment form one of the largest single disability groups in the community. Approximately three per cent of the population has some form of intellectual impairment. More than three-quarters of these people have a mild intellectual impairment with low support needs. The remainder require varying levels of support, depending on their level of impairment. Intellectual impairment is nine times more prevalent than cerebral palsy. It affects 15 times as many people as legal blindness.

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