Residential Intellectual Disability Facilities Market Growing Rapidly in North America

 

Intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. Intellectual disability refers to people who are classified by one or more terms such as mental handicap, developmental delay and developmental disability. Moreover, people with mental retardation are also classified as having intellectual disability. According to the specialolympics.org, one of the largest sports organization for both children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, around 200 million (1-3%) global population has an intellectual disability.

According to same source, intellectual disability is significantly more common in low-income countries; 16.41 in every 1,000 people. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for intellectual disability treatment worldwide, driving the residential intellectual disability facilities market growth. Special education and behavioral therapy can help an individual live to his or her fullest. Intellectual disability, or mental retardation, is characterized by mental ability or below-average intelligence and a lack of skills necessary for day-to-day living. Individuals with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn them more slowly.

Moreover, the residential intellectual disability facilities market, in North America, is gaining huge traction due to the increasing prevalence of intellectual disability in this region, especially in the United States. According to the specialolympics.org, around 6.5 million people in the U.S. have an intellectual disability. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for intellectual disability treatment in the U.S. Intellectual disability is the most common developmental disability. Intellectual disability involves problems with general mental abilities that affect functioning in two areas, adaptive functioning and intellectual functioning.

A person with an intellectual disability has some limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including social, communication, and self-care skills. These limitations are expressed in an individual’s social, conceptual, and practical everyday living skills. There are different types of facilities that provide intellectual disability facilities, such as private home, group homes, hospitals, and developmental facilities. Moreover, there are small and large Medicaid funded, state-run, and privately run intellectual disability facilities. However, the demand for these facilities depends on reimbursement through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Although the demand for residential intellectual disability facilities has increased, adequate supply of intellectual disability facilities has not kept the expected pace. Thus, there is a huge shortfall in the demand and supply of intellectual disability facilities. This in turn is expected to restrain the growth of the residential intellectual disability facilities market. Another major factor hindering the growth of the market is the difficulty in avoiding hospitalization for those who commonly face challenges with their behavior and/or mental health problems.