INFORMATION ON MENTAL RETARDATION

Mental retardation is characterized both by a significantly below-average score on a test of mental ability or intelligence and by limitations in the ability to function in areas of daily life, such as communication, self-care, and getting along in social situations and school activities. Mental retardation is sometimes referred to as a cognitive or intellectual disability. Mental retardation is not a disease itself. It occurs when something injures the brain or a problem prevents the brain from developing normally. Children with mental retardation can and do learn new skills, but they develop more slowly than children with average intelligence and adaptive skills. There are different degrees of mental retardation, ranging from mild to profound.

SYNONYMS OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Synonyms of Mental Retardation are:
1. Mental handicap.
2. Mental impairment.
3. Severe mental impairment.

CAUSES OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Mental retardation can be caused by any condition which impairs development of the brain before birth, during birth or in the childhood years. Several hundred causes have been discovered, but in about one-third of the people affected, the cause remains unknown. The three major known causes of mental retardation are Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and fragile X. Some are genetic; some are present before or at the time of conception; others occur during pregnancy, during birth, or after birth. The common factor is that something interferes with the growth and development of the brain.

SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Symptoms of Mental Retardation are:

1. Failure to meet intellectual developmental markers.
2. Persistence of infantile behavior.
3. Lack of curiosity.
4. Decreased learning ability.
5. Inability to meet educational demands of school.

DIAGNOSIS OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Diagnosis of Mental Retardation are:

Development significantly less than that of peers.
An intelligence quotient score below 70 on a standardized IQ test.
Adaptive behavior score below average.
Abnormal Denver developmental screening test.

TREATMENT OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Treatment of mental retardation involves developing an individualized plan based upon the child's skills and needs. Early intervention programs are available in many areas to assess the needs of mentally retarded children under the age of three and provide treatment. The primary goal of treatment is to develop the person's potential to the fullest. Special education and training may begin as early as infancy. This includes social skills to help the person function as normally as possible. It is important for a specialist to evaluate the person for coexisting affective disorders and treat those disorders. Behavioral approaches are important in understanding and working with mentally retarded individuals.