Developmental impairment
With development impairment means that the viability and development opportunities are affected a person for some reason. The reasons can be somatic or psychological. But they can also be in the social area, with the affected person or with their environment. Here, this term basically follows on from the terms of (impaired) activity and participation of people, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization (WHO) (cf. ICF 2004: 94ff.) .
In contrast to the terms “disabled person” or “person with disability ”, the term “person with developmental impairment ” stands for a holistic view of people and their development. Behind this term is the view and the knowledge that every person develops throughout a lifetime, in different physical, mental and spiritual processes. This lifelong development is common to all people; it cannot be stopped, regardless of whether someone has, for example, physical damage or is impaired in their perception. It is important in a development that this always takes place in the interaction of a person with himself and the environment.
Corresponding to the term developmental impairment, the term “severe or severe developmental impairment” describes the fact that a person's ability or potential for development is severely impaired. This can be due to the fact that several central development dimensions (for example the musculoskeletal system, cognition, perception or language) are impaired due to specific damage and that the development potential of a person is accordingly significantly reduced. It is possible that a person is additionally impaired in his development due to specific disabilities and the resulting restrictions on participation. It is undisputed that severe developmental impairments cause a considerable need for help (cf. Oberholzer 2005: 48f.).
literature
- Daniel Oberholzer: Developmental impairments . In: Words - Concepts - Meanings. A glossary on social work from the Aargau Northwestern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences . Truniger, Luzia et al. (Ed.), Brugg 2005, 48-49.