Online Schools Guide to Mental Retardation

One in every ten families in the United States is directly affected by mental retardation and it can affect anyone regardless of ethnicity, sex or socioeconomic background. There is a wide range of severity of mental retardation, from borderline to profound impairment. Up to 3% of the population falls somewhere in that range, but many are capable of a large number of the tasks required for daily living and benefit greatly from education. Mental retardation is not apparent in new babies, because the symptoms are developmental. Doctors find a cause for mental retardation in only about 25% of cases, but the causes vary widely. There are many processes, illnesses and infections that can lead to mental retardation, all ending in a common result - impaired cognitive abilities. It helps to break them down into categories: Infections, for example:

• Meningitis - inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
• Listeria Infection - a food-borne illness that can be contracted from unpasteurized milk and improperly processed deli meat.
• Encephalitis - inflammation of the brain, usually cause by a viral infection.
• Congenital Toxoplasmosis - an infection of the toxoplasma gondii parasite, going unnoticed in most healthy adults

Chromosomal abnormalities, for example:

• Fragile X Syndrome
• Angelman Syndrome

Genetic abnormalities and metabolic disorders, for example:

• Tuberous Sclerosis
• Phenylketonuria
• Tay-Sachs Disease
• Hurler Syndrome
• Congenital Hypothyroid

Environmental:

• Malnutrition
• Lead poisoning
• Methylmercury poisoning
• Intrauterine exposure to alcohol and drugs

Trauma before or after birth:

• Lack of oxygen
• Head injury
• Intracranial hemorrhage

Prevention

Though most cases of mental retardation result from unknown causes, some of the cases whose causes are known are preventable with care and caution on the part of the parents-to-be. Infectious: Awareness and vigilance regarding exposure to dangerous material, such as cat litter. Genetic: Prenatal screening for genetic defects and counseling for those at risk of known inherited disorders. Environmental: Awareness of the risks of using drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, healthy eating habits and avoidance of exposure to lead, mercury and other toxins all reduce the risk of mental retardation.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Mental retardation, because it is a developmental disability, is hard to spot early-on. Noticing the symptoms requires some development of intellectual and motor skills in the child. Extreme fussiness can be a sign but, taken alone, is a very low indicator. To be diagnosed with mental retardation these two major symptoms must be present before the age of 18: Sub-standard Intellectual Ability - Intellectual abilities include the ability to reason, plan, problem-solve, learn quickly, learn from experience, comprehend complex ideas and think abstractly. Someone may be mentally retarded if they have an I.Q. (intelligence quotient) of 70 or below, but this is only one aspect of mental retardation and does not mean absolutely that a child is mentally retarded without the other symptom. Impaired Adaptive Functioning - Adaptive functioning is a collection of behavioral skills including practical, social and conceptual skills needed to be responsible for one’s everyday life and respond to situations and environments appropriately. To be considered mentally retarded, a person must have “significant” limitations in adaptive functioning. Significant impairment is defined as being two standard deviations below the mean. The measurement can be a general score of all three (practical, social and conceptual) skills or a particularly low score on one skill. Here are a few concrete examples of each type of skill:

Practical

• Eating, dressing and general mobility
• The ability to maintain a safe environment
• Daily activities such as cooking, using the telephone, using transportation and managing money

Social

• Self-esteem
• Gullibility
• Responsibility
• Obedience to laws
• Avoidance of victimization

Conceptual

• Self-direction
• Reading and writing
• Understanding money
• Use of expressive language

These symptoms manifest themselves as continued child-like behavior and development lagging far behind peers, inability to adapt to new circumstances or situations. Among the expectations of those responsible for diagnosing mental retardation is the requirement that the child be evaluated in context of his or her peers and take into account cultural and linguistic differences.

Supporting and Caring for the Mentally Retarded

Mental retardation cannot be stopped or reversed, but those affected by it can be helped to develop to their fullest potential. About 85% of those who are mentally retarded have mild retardation and many will be able to care for themselves during adulthood and some can live independently with the support of their communities. Federal legislation provides for the free diagnosis and education of children diagnosed with mental retardation. There are day schools available for training in basic skills such as dressing and bathing, social programs to help children and teenagers improve self-esteem and extra-curricular activities to develop occupational skills. It is vital to the development of any child to have a caring home environment and there are family therapy programs to help parents learn how to discipline these children appropriately, to develop coping skills and to manage feelings of guilt or anger. Below are concrete examples of training activities that should occur in different areas of a child’s life: Education

• Participation in decision-making on educational activities
• Learning and using problem-solving techniques
• Functional academics, like counting change and reading signs
• Learning and using self-management skills

Home Life

• Preparing and eating food
• Cleaning house
• Doing laundry
• Personal hygiene
• Operating home appliances

Community Life

• Shopping
• Using transportation
• Visiting friends and family
• Interacting with members of the public

Employment Preparation

• Learning specific job skills
• Understanding efficiency and quality of work
• Interacting with supervisors and co-workers

Behavioral Therapy

• Making appropriate decisions
• Controlling anger and aggression
• Substance abuse counseling
• Socially acceptable behavior

Introduction to Mental Retardation - A paper in pdf explaining the basics of mental retardation.

Special Olympics - A non-profit international program that provides sports training and competition for people with mental retardation.

IASSID - The International Association for the Study of Developmental Disabilities

Family Village - A global community providing information, resources and communication opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities and their families and caretakers.

DS - Information, resources and support for parents of children with Down Syndrome.

The Arc - Providing information and resources on developmental disabilities for researchers, teachers, students and families.

AACAP - The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s family-oriented fact sheet on caring for children with developmental disabilities.

Parent Pals - A mental retardation education guide for parents.

FRAXA Research Foundation - A non-profit organization run by parents for research and advocacy focusing on Fragile X Syndrome: the leading cause of inherited mental retardation.

AAIDD - American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities>