developmental disability
noun
plural developmental disabilities
: any of various conditions (such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, blindness, or fragile X syndrome) that usually become apparent during infancy or childhood and are marked by delayed development or functional limitations especially in learning, language, communication, cognition, behavior, socialization, or mobility
Two to three babies in 1,000 have cerebral palsy (CP), making it one of the most common developmental disabilities.—
Melanie Howard
Melanie HowardAutism is a complex developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to other people.—Braema Mathi
Braema Mathi
developmentally disabled
adjective
developmentally disabled students
Examples of developmental disability in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the most recent episode of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others podcast, the Goonies star claimed that he was originally cast as Arnie Grape, a teen with developmental disabilities, in the 1993 film before Depp came on board.
—John Russell, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The agency promised to make systemic changes to keep Choate home to the nearly 230 people with developmental disabilities who lived there at the time.
—Beth Hundsdorfer, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2025
Marylanders with developmental disabilities took matters into their own hands Monday night, showing state lawmakers how funding cuts would impact their lives.
—Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that is caused by differences in the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2025
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John Russell, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The agency promised to make systemic changes to keep Choate home to the nearly 230 people with developmental disabilities who lived there at the time.
—Beth Hundsdorfer, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2025
Marylanders with developmental disabilities took matters into their own hands Monday night, showing state lawmakers how funding cuts would impact their lives.
—Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that is caused by differences in the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for developmental disability
Cite this Entry
“Developmental disability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/developmental%20disability. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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developmental disability
noun
: any of various conditions (as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, blindness, or fragile X syndrome) that usually become apparent during infancy or childhood and are marked by delayed development or functional limitations especially in learning, language, communication, cognition, behavior, socialization, or mobility
Two to three babies in 1,000 have cerebral palsy (CP), making it one of the most common developmental disabilities.—Melanie Howard
Melanie HowardAutism is a complex developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to other people.—Braema Mathi
Braema Mathi
developmentally disabled
adjective
developmentally disabled children
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