History & Context

A severe, chronic condition that begins before age 22 and affects major life activities.

Significant limits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior beginning before age 22.

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting social communication, sensory processing, and behavior.

Shorthand for the overlapping populations of intellectual disability, developmental disability, and autism.

The use of alcohol, prescription medication, or other drugs — which may or may not progress to a disorder.

A medical condition marked by impaired control over use despite significant negative consequences.

Conditions affecting thinking, mood, or behavior — from anxiety and depression to serious mental illness.

The presence of both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition in the same person.

When IDD/A, mental health, and substance use intersect in one person — the focus of this guide.

When symptoms of mental illness or SUD are wrongly attributed to a person's IDD/A.

Medications for opioid use disorder; medication-assisted treatment combines meds with counseling.

Strategies that reduce the negative consequences of substance use without requiring abstinence.