Mental retardation is not a purely cognitive problem; (socio-)emotional development may also be impaired and delayed or incomplete. This may result in severe behavioral problems and subsequently mental disorders. This can lead to far-reaching consequences such as avoidable hospitalization, high levels of psychopharmacological treatment, loss of employment and housing, and even exclusion from society. By including the emotional development aspect, Tanja Sappok and Sabine Zepperitz provide a new, holistic view of people with intellectual disabilities. Behavioral problems can be better understood against this background and targeted pedagogical-therapeutic measures can be initiated. With "The Age of Emotions", the authors contribute to substantially improving the mental health and quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities by providing all those working in the health care system and in integration assistance with an effective tool for mastering the challenges involved. The book has been thoroughly revised for the second edition - among other things, it has been adapted to the new diagnostic instrument SEED, the interplay of emotional development and mental illness is newly addressed, and the developmental model has been expanded to include the phase of 2nd individuation or adolescence.