Often, when the staff of the Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities (OPDD) is asked what we do, people are surprised when we say we work to prevent developmental disabilities.
Most of us believe that the greatest proportion of mental developmental disabilities - or “intellectual disabilities”, as it is becoming more commonly known - and other related disabilities are caused by genetic abnormalities and occur in circumstances that are beyond our control. While one to three percent of all children are born with congenital malformations that might not be preventable, many other disabilities can be prevented through good maternal and child health practices. These can be achieved by making simple changes to our everyday behavior.
