On Terms: What's in a Name? Intellectual Disability and "Condition," "Disorder," "Syndrome," "Disease," and "Disability".
Use each ID label with precision—this paper tells you which word fits which situation.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Thurm et al. (2022) wrote a short guide that defines five words clinicians use every day: condition, disorder, syndrome, disease, and disability.
The authors focused on people with intellectual disability and explained when each label fits and when it does not.
No new data were collected; the paper is a ready-to-use glossary for report writers, diagnosticians, and support teams.
What they found
The team showed that the five terms are not interchangeable.
They gave clear rules: use "syndrome" only when a known gene pattern exists, choose "condition" for the broadest neutral tone, and reserve "disorder" for formal diagnostic systems.
How this fits with other research
The guide updates the 2013 calls from Ruth et al. and L et al. for careful naming. Those papers said "be careful"; Audrey et al. show exactly how.
Wehmeyer (2013) urged the field to drop "disorder" altogether. The new paper keeps the word but fences it inside strict diagnostic use, so both papers agree on protecting self-image.
Tassé et al. (2013) lobbied ICD-11 to adopt "intellectual disability." Audrey et al. extend that win by mapping the rest of the vocabulary around it.
Why it matters
Pick the right word and the family hears hope, the court sees function, and the insurer funds help. Pick the wrong word and stigma sticks or services slip. Tape the glossary inside your assessment folder and match each label to the exact medical or educational context you are writing about.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Individuals living with intellectual disability can have multiple co-occurring medical conditions including associated genetic diagnoses. The number of genetic etiologies associated with ID is growing, with some quite new and rare, and others more common and associated with what is often considered a syndrome. In the context of genetic etiologies and associated medical comorbidities, appropriate use of descriptive terminology warrants clarification. Using accurate nomenclature is essential for descriptions, especially as terms are used across both research and clinical reports. Here we discuss several terms that may be confused with each other, including "condition," "disorder," "syndrome," "disease," and "disability." Our goal is to shed light on the meanings of the five descriptors and their appropriate use in the ID population, especially in relation to those who have a genetic diagnosis.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-127.5.349