Genetic intellectual disability can be caused by a number of factors. Some disabilities can be diagnosed, like Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Rhett’s syndrome and others, but many cannot. Scientists estimate that there are approximately 1,000 genes that contribute to the functioning of a healthy brain. That leaves great potential for error that can result in trisomies, monosomies, deletions and translocations and other complex alterations of genetic information contained on the human genome.

The Jérôme Lejeune Foundation funds and conducts research into many diagnosed conditions and is constantly investigating the cause and treatments of many genetic intellectual disabilities.