Mental Retardation Signs Of Mental Retardation How Is Mental

During childhood, the term developmental delay is synonymous but currently preferred by some in most contexts because of the pejorative connotations acquired by the term "mental retardation". The American Association on Mental Retardation continues to use the term Mental retardation [1].

A general, defined condition with various symptoms, caused by a lack of development of the brain before birth. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Children who have retardation may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There may be some things they cannot learn.

There are three criteria before a person is considered to have mental retardation, their IQ is below 75, they have significant limits in two or more adaptive behavior al areas, and the condition is present since childhood. Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and fragile X are the three most common inborn causes of mental retardation.

Mental retardation is claimed to not be a disease. Mental retardation is also claimed to not be a type of mental illness, such as depression. There is no cure for mental retardation. However, with appropriate supports most individuals with retardation can learn to do many things.

1 Signs of Mental Retardation

About 87 percent of mentally retarded people will only be a little slower than average in learning new information and skills. When they are children, their limitations may not be obvious. They may not even be diagnosed as having mental retardation until they get to school. As they become adults, many people with retardation can live independently and may not be recognized by others in the community as having a disability.

The remaining 13 percent of individuals with mental retardation score below 50 on IQ tests. These people will have more difficulty in school, at home, and in the community. A person with more severe retardation will need more intensive support his or her entire life. Every retarded child is able to learn, develop, and grow. With help, all retarded children can live a satisfying life.

1.1 How is Mental Retardation Diagnosed?

Intellectual functioning, or IQ, is usually measured by a test called an IQ test. The average score is 100. People scoring below 70 to 75 are thought to have mental retardation. To measure adaptive behavior, professionals look at what a child can do in comparison to other children of his or her age. Certain skills are important to adaptive behavior. These are:

To diagnose mental retardation, professionals look at the person's mental abilities (IQ) and his or her adaptive skills.

1.2 Ranges of IQ

The following data based on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence ScaleWAIS is a general test of intelligence ( IQ), published in February 1955 as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue test ( 1939), standardised for use with adults over the age of 16. Intelligence is quantified as the global capacity of the individual to act p (WAIS) was used in 1958Events January January 1 Treaty of Rome founding the EU is implemented January 4 Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from its orbit (launched on October 4 1957) January 8 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship January 18 Armed Lumbee Nat:

Today the following ranges are in standard use:

Class	IQ
Profound mental retardation	below 20
Severe mental retardation	20-34
Moderate mental retardation	35-49
Mild mental retardation	50-69
Borderline deficiency	70-79

2 Causes of Mental Retardation

Doctors have found many causes of mental retardation. The most common are:

Genetic conditions. Sometimes mental retardation is caused by abnormal genes inherited from parents, errors when genes combine, or other reasons. Examples of genetic conditions include Down syndrome, Fragile X syndromeFragile X Syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation, affecting approximately 1 in 1500 males and 1 in 3000 females. It is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation of the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. Typically the FMR1 gene contains between, and phenylketonuriaPhenylketonuria "fee-nil-kee-ton-yur-ee-aah"+ (PKU) is a human genetic disorder that occurs in about 1 in 15,000 births, but the incidence varies widely in different human populations from 1 in 4,500 births among the Irish to fewer than one in 100,000 bir (PKU).
Problems during pregnancy. Mental retardation can result when the baby does not develop inside the mother properly. For example, there may be a problem with the way the baby's cells divide as it grows. A woman who drinks alcohol (see fetal alcohol syndrome) or gets an infection like rubellaRubella (also known as epidemic roseola German measles or three-day measles is a disease caused by the Rubella virus . The virus usually enters the body through the nose or throat. The disease can last 1-5 days. Children recover more quickly than adults. during pregnancy may also have a baby with mental retardation.
Problems at birth. If a baby has problems during labor and birth, such as not getting enough oxygen, he or she may have mental retardation.
Health problems. Diseases like whooping cough, the measles, or meningitis can cause mental retardation. Mental retardation can also be caused by extreme malnutrition (not eating right), not getting enough medical care, or by being exposed to poisons like lead or mercury.

3 Traditional terms

The three traditional terms denoting varying degrees of mental deficiency long predate psychiatry. They were originally used in English as simple forms of abuse, and this is still the main usage. Their now obsolete use as psychiatric technical definitions is of purely historical interest. There have been some efforts made among mental health professionals to discourage use of these terms. Note that the term retard is still used as a generic insult, especially among children.

Idiot stems from Gr. Idiotos - someone who does not participate in politics. The term now indicates the greatest degree of mental deficiency, where the mental age is 2 years or less, and the person cannot guard himself against common physical dangers. The term is gradually being replaced by the term profound mental retardation.

An ' idiot' is the corresponding term for a person affected by idiocy.

The word idiot comes from the Greek word ιδιωτης, idiôtês, "a private citizen, individual", from ιδιος, idios, "private". In ancient Athens, an idiot was a person who declined to take part in public life, such as democratic city government. Since such activities were honorable and could directly affect all citizens, idiot was a term of derision.

Imbecility was a type of mental deficiency less extreme than idiocy and not necessarily inherited. It is now usually subdivided into two categories, known as severe mental retardation and moderate mental retardation.

Moron was defined by the American Association for the Study of the Feeble-Minded in 1910, following work by Henry H. Goddard, as the term for an adult with a mental age between eight and twelve; mild mental retardation is now the more widely-accepted term for this condition. Alternative definitions of these terms based on IQ were also used.

3.1 Political correctness

In other Western nations, such as Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, the term Mental Retardation is Politically incorrect. The term Intellectual Disability is currently favoured.

4 References

Wechsler, David The Measurement of Adult Intelligence (1944), Baltimore, The Williams & Wilkins Company.

5 External links

Mental Deficiency Theories - from a criminology course, but provides a good overview

Disability Disorders usually first present before adulthood

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