The neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD)  are a group of conditions which typically manifest early in development with  impairments in personal, social, academic or occupational functioning. The range of developmental deficits varies from very specific limitations of learning or control of functions to global impairments of social skills or intelligence.  These disorders exact  an enormous emotional, mental and financial toll in terms of compromised quality of life and lifelong disability. In addition, they require special education, psychological and medical support services that drain resources.  The cause for these disabilities is likely to include genetic and environmental factors, but for a vast majority of patients, the cause remains unknown.

A new cluster of NDDs is proposed, which includes six categories: Intellectual Developmental Disorders, Communication Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disorders, and Motor Disorders.

The neurodevelopmental disorders frequently co-occur; for example, individuals with autism spectrum disorder often have intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder), and many children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also have a specific learning disorder.