Healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Italy

The Italian healthcare system is public and freely available to the population. With a few exceptions, there are no distinctions between the healthcare services and practices (e.g., primary care) designed for the general population and those for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Prevalence data on adults with IDD are lacking and most disability policies and resources are designed for people with disabilities broadly defined, without specification based on disability type or severity level. Recent legislation provides specific supports for individuals with severe disabilities or autism spectrum disorder. This paper describes the legislation and health policies developed for people with disabilities, the organization of the Italian healthcare system, and the organization of disability support services and healthcare services. Strengths (e.g., availability of many financial resources, adoption of biopsychosocial approach to disability, presence of innovative projects to address the healthcare needs of people with IDD) and weaknesses (e.g., lack of distinction among disability types, territorial differences, lack of disability training of healthcare providers) of the current healthcare practices are reported and discussed.