ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a time of transition. Great physical and psychological changes occur as the young person develops a new social role. The relationship between GPs and adolescents should reflect this change - regardless of whether the adolescent has intellectual disability. This chapter provides an overview of medical, cognitive and social issues facing adolescents with intellectual disability and their families. Parents and families of adolescents frequently complain of the abyss of healthcare they encounter when their child with intellectual disability reaches adolescence - the overall, multidisciplinary team led, all embracing care of a community paediatrician gives way to fragmented care which must be promoted, developed and usually led, or more likely driven, by the GP.
