Lack of access to health care

Negative attitudes towards intellectual disability may lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis if a person’s physical symptoms or behaviours are attributed to their intellectual disability. As a result, people with intellectual disability may not receive the same level of health care as the general population,^[31] leading to preventable hospitalisations, chronic disease and early mortality.^{22,[32],[33],[34],[35]}

Common cognitive biases toward people with intellectual disability include assumptions about a person’s quality of life, their ability to gain new skills and their capacity to participate in healthcare planning. Cognitive bias may influence decisions about providing proactive treatment, rehabilitation, preventive health care and end-of-life care.^{[36],[37],[38],[39],[40]}