AbstractIn this paper, we explore the health and health ser-vice use of youth and young adults with intellectual and de-velopmental disabilities (IDD), with a focus on two specific subgroups: youth and young adults with Down syndrome and
autism spectrum disorders. Young people with IDD are more likely to develop health problems (e.g., chronic disease and mental illness) than their peers without IDD as they age and require access to complex, coordinated care. The literature indicates that their patterns of health service use tend to shift
from community and outpatient care in childhood toward more hospital-based, emergency, and long-term care in adult-hood. We highlight some unique issues with respect to under-standing the health and health service use of this population,
and discuss the implications for health care practice, policy and planning, and further research. KeywordsHealth.Healthserviceutilization.Intellectualand
developmental disabilities.Down syndrome.Autism spectrumdisorders .Youth. Young adult.Review