The OPDD was established in 1987. Its mission is to reduce the frequency of occurrence of chronic intellectual/developmental and physical disabilities that originate during pregnancy or early childhood. This goal is achieved by many means, including, but not limited to:

• Educating the public, targeting potentially young and new parents about the preventable causes of disabilities, such as ingesting lead paint and non-lead paint sources such as jewelry, toys, stoneware as well as consumption of harmful substances during pregnancy, or unintentional injury during childhood;
• Alerting health care providers and others to new discoveries that suggest ways to reduce the risks of permanent damage to children before, during, and after birth;
• Informing professionals and the public about the impact of maternal and paternal age at time of conception;
• Publicizing newly discovered causes of disability that arise from societal or environmental changes;
• Fostering coordination among different agencies, each of which may be part of the solution to a problem;
• Stimulating research to push forward the frontiers of biomedical knowledge including basic science research to fill important gaps in the sciences of the prevention of disabilities; and
• Advocating for changes in social conditions that endanger children.

Preventing developmental disabilities begins long before a woman gets pregnant and continues long after her children are born.  OPDD addresses the many facets of prevention by using the life cycle paradigm.  Examples of good health behaviors in each life stage include:

• Preconception Health –Family planning, up-to-date immunizations, good nutrition and intake of folic acid, stopping the consumption of alcohol, reviewing all prescriptions with doctor; screening for specific genetic disorders
• Prenatal Health – Early and continuous prenatal care; healthy nutrition, no consumption of alcohol, drugs or cigarettes, exercise
• Infant and Child Health– Newborn screening, immunizations, lead poisoning prevention, back to sleep, car and booster seats, helmets, home smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, early education