Celebrating 50 Years of Support

People Served

The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities supports 3,600 people with developmental disabilities living in Butler County so they can lead full, meaningful lives.

We provide services and support to people who have a developmental disability and are deemed eligible to receive our supports.

What services are available?
Click here to learn more about our services.

What is a Developmental Disability?
Developmental Disabilities are caused by a problem that occurs before a person is born or before they turn 22 years old. Disabilities can be caused by an injury, a disease or a problem in the brain. For many people, the cause of their disability is not known.

Disabilities affect a person's development and last their whole life. Developmental disabilities can be intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, or both.

Most Common Types of Disabilities

There are many different kinds of developmental disabilities. Here are some of the most common:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - includes Autistic disorder and Asperger's syndrome. People with ASD's may have intellectual disabilities, language delays, social and communication challenges, unusual behaviors and interests.
  • Cerebral Palsy (CP) - affect's a person's ability to move. People with CP may have stiff muscles, uncontrollable movements, poor balance and coordination.
  • Down syndrome - caused by a chromosomal abnormality. Every person with Down syndrome is different and there is a wide variation in intellectual ability, behavior and developmental progress of each person.
  • Epilepsy - a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. These seizures can cause changes in a person's function, sensation, awareness and behavior.
  • Intellectual Disability - refers to lower than average intellectual capability, which affects the ability to reason, plan, solve problems and learn from experience.
  • Fragile-X syndrome - a genetic condition that causes intellectual disabilities, behavior and learning challenges and various physical characteristics.
  • Spina Bifida - happens in early pregnancy when a baby's spine does not close completely which causes nerve and spinal cord damage. a person with Spina Bifida may have weak muscles or be paralyzed.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - an injury to the brain caused by a person's head being hit by something or being shaken violently. A person with a TBI may have problems speaking, seeing or hearing and may have seizures, trouble with their balance, and parts of their body may be paralyzed.

What is the difference between a mental illness and a developmental disability?
Developmental Disabilities are different than mental illnesses. A mental illness is a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that impairs judgement, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or the ability to meet the ordinary demands of everyday life. Some people may have what is called a "dual diagnosis" as having both a developmental disability and a mental illness.