About AAIDD's Environmental Health Initiative
AAIDD launched an environmental health initiative designed to promote good health and reduce disability by forging ground breaking partnerships among the developmental disabilities networks and the environmental health communities. The goals of this unique collaboration are to:
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Raise awareness about the complex links between exposure to neurotoxic chemicals and developmental disabilities, and
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Raise awareness that those living with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities may be at greater risk of secondary health effects from toxic exposures than individuals without disabilities.
The initiative began in July 2003 when AAIDD convened a Summit where leaders from academia, environmental health disciplines, disability services, special education, public policy and the self-advocacy network framed a national action blueprint. This framework is designed to achieve effective collaboration among network partners and has extensive recommendations for action pertaining to education, outreach, training, legislation, policy, and research.
AAIDD has established an expert Advisory Board and three workgroups to put these policy, research, and educational recommendations into action. The working groups are comprised of AAIDD members, developmental and learning disabilities professionals, environmental health experts, individuals with disabilities and state and local government association members. This includes scientists, researchers, toxicologists, nurses, self-advocates and many others to
collaborate their expertise and passion to move this environmental health promotion and disability agenda forward!
AAIDD now has a position statement that outlines our Environmental Health Initiative, and we encourage organizations, professionals, community members, legislators, and any interested parties in signing-on. To read about the position statement, click here. Contact Laura Abulafia at Laura@aaidd.org if you wish to sign-on.
Causes Unknown
Although there is little doubt that many aspects of learning and development are genetically influenced,
for the vast majority of these disorders there is no evidence that genetic factors are the predominant
cause. In fact, the few syndromes that appear to be exclusively genetic are rare.
Developmental disability can be the result of any one of many factors, or a combination of multiple
factors. In fact, as much as 50 percent of all cases of mental retardation have more than one underlying
cause. Furthermore, for a third of all the cases of mental retardation, the cause is still unknown.
We believe that we can no longer ignore the mounting evidence that chemical exposures are
contributing substantially to the epidemic of developmental disabilities.
Developmental Disabilities
Neurodevelopmental disabilities are widespread,
and chemical exposures are important and
preventable contributors to these conditions.
The term "Developmental
Disabilities" can be used to
describe any number of disabilities
that interrupt natural brain
development, begin in childhood,
and are life-long. Disabilities may
affect a person's ability to speak,
learn, make decisions, understand
language, or take care of oneself.
Economic Costs
The consequences of developmental
disabilities can be tragic and
expensive. The familial, societal
and economic costs are immense,
and the disabilities are usually
life-long. For instance, special
education services to all students
with disabilities costs $77.3 billion
per year.
The National Academy
of Sciences (NAS) estimates
that 25 percent of developmental
and neurological deficits in children are due
to the interplay between chemicals and genetic
factors and that 3% are caused by exposure
to chemicals alone. The NAS estimates that
costs due to environmental factors could be
anywhere from $4.6¨C$18.4 billion per year.
Chemical Exposures
Toxins in the environment are an important
concern for persons with developmental disabilities.
Sometimes developmental disabilities
are specifically caused by exposure to toxins
prior to birth or during childhood. Others born
with disabilities may suffer additional secondary
health effects that further impact optimal
functioning.
Vast quantities of neurotoxic chemicals are
released into the environment each year.
Of the top 20 chemicals reported
by the Toxics Release Inventory
in 1997, nearly three-quarters
are known or suspected
neurotoxicants. They include
methanol, ammonia, manganese,
toluene, phosphoric acid, xylene,
n-hexane, chlorine, methyl
ethyl ketone, carbon disulfide
lead and glycol ethers.
The current, limited
understanding of chemical
neurotoxicity potential has one
particularly unsettling implication:
What we already know
about neurodevelopmental
toxic threats to the fetus, child
and those living with disabilities
is likely to be only the tip
of the iceberg.
Linking Toxic Exposures with Developmental Disabilities
The connection between toxic environmental
exposures and neurodevelopment is an emerging
area of concern. An estimated 12 million
children (17 percent) have one or more
learning, developmental, or behavioral disability
and these numbers appear to be increasing.
Mental retardation alone affects 1.4 million
children. Exposures to environmental toxins
such as lead, mercury, PCBs, alcohol, toluene
and tobacco have all been proven to cause
permanent developmental disabilities.
Other toxic exposures such as pesticides,
solvents, flame retardants, plastics, and heavy
metals such as cadmium and excessive manganese,
similarly disrupt brain development.
The cause of the increase in developmental
disabilities is unknown, yet the latest science
and research efforts are beginning to implicate
the more than 80,000 chemicals that have
been introduced into the environment over
the past 40 years. This initiative is raising
awareness of the links between disabilities and
toxic exposures, calling for needed research to
clarify these associations, and progressive
policies to address the issue.
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