First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book is the third in a series with the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (Series Editor: Matthew P. Janicki). These publications are designed to address the issues of health, adult development and aging among persons with intellectual disabilities. For many years it has been recognized that some adults with intellectual disabilities are at elevated risk for mental and behavioral health problems. Often the aging process can complicate the identification, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this type of dual diagnosis and present complex challenges to clinicians and carers. This book is designed as a practical resource for those involved with the support, care and treatment of persons with intellectual disabilities, and should prove particularly useful as this community achieves increased longevity. The book is divided into three parts: Prevalence and Characteristics; Diagnosis and Treatment; and Service System Issues.

This definitive handbook assembles the most recent advances in knowledge about dementia, Alzheimer Disease, and related disorders as they affect persons with intellectual disabilities. Diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and management and care practices are detailed in a practical manner making this a useful tool to both students and trained professionals. After an introduction to the subject, the book begins with persoanl accounts of three affected individuals whose signs of dementia are described from clinical, family member, and care-provider perspectives, respectively. The biology and physiology of dementia, as well as the neurological and medical complications associated with it, are then provided in Parts Two, three, and Four. The application and practical perspectives of this handbook are enhanced in Part Five which details the best practices available to meet the needs and challenges involved in care and quality of life issues. The challenge raised by the rapidly growing number of aging individuals with intellectual disabilities forms the basis for the final part of the volume, an analysis and presentation of rarely addressed policy issues. Extensive resource information and a comprehensive glossary contribute to the useful nature of this handbook. Practitioners, service providers, educators and students will benefit from the accessability and practicality if this text as well as the breadth and depth of knowledge of the editors and contributors.

'My Thinker's Not Working': A National Strategy for Enabling Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Affected by Dementia to Remain in Their Community and Receive Quality Supports, prepared by the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices, provides a summary of the challenges facing the nation as we observe an increasing rate of dementia found in older people with intellectual disabilities. The Report offers recommendations for the various stakeholders in the field of intellectual disabilities and anticipates that its findings and recommendations will be considered and integrated into the annual reports and plans developed by the federal Advisory Council on Alzheimer‟s Research, Care, and Services.

Synthesizing data that has previously been scattered across the spectrum of knowledge, Dementia, Aging, and Intellectual Disabilities provides the most up-to-date information available about dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders as they affect persons with mental disabilities. Written in plain language, this definitive handbook examines: the biology and physiology of dementia; neurological and medical complications associated with dementia; the best practices to meet the needs of aging clients with intellectual disabilities and their families; policy issues raised by the growing number of aging individuals with intellectual disabilities; and case studies of affected individuals. The editors take a practical approach to diagnosis, assessment, treatment, management, and care, making this book a useful guide for both students and trained professionals. Practitioners and service providers will find Dementia. Aging, and Intellectual Disabilities to be an essential resource for developing programs and dealing effectively with the emotional, psychological, and social impact of dementia on affected individuals, their families, and care providers.

This book brings together findings from research and clinical practice, with comprehensive coverage of the important aspects of mental health in ageing persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is crucial for professionals involved in the care of persons with all intellectual and developmental disabilities to have a broad understanding of the essential range of issues, and therefore this book provides a truly multi-disciplinary perspective, complete with many figures and illustrations to underline the key points. Undoubtedly, research and clinical practice are much more advanced in the general ageing population than in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and so professionals and academics must be made fully aware of commonalities and idiosyncrasies of older people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This book presents the ongoing developments concerning mental health and aging, which will become relevant to the intellectually disabled population. Through experience, this book also acknowledges that the impact on the persons themselves and on their carers always needs to be taken into account, with treatment programs established with a multi-faceted team approach in mind. Avoiding the jargon of many titles in this area while maintaining the hands-on approach of clinical practice, this book meshes the practical and scientific worlds, with all chapters written by leading experts in the field. Beyond the US, the IASSIDD support expands the book message worldwide.