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Comments on Mental Retardation Lee Henson, coordinator of Americans with Disabilities in Columbia, Missouri. Comments by Debra MacDonald, mother of a child with disabilities Pregnancy and Alcohol
Mental Retardation - Definition
Mental retardation refers to substantial limitations in present functioning. It is characterized by significantly sub-average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitations in two or more of the following applicable adaptive skill areas:
In many ways, retarded children present opposite characteristics of the gifted but also the same kinds of programming problems. The majority of children classified as retarded are able to live independently as adults, a small minority require supervised adult living, and only a very small number require care in a private or state facility. Thus, the majority of children identified as retarded can and will attend public schools and, given proper consideration and programming, will be able to succeed in school and in a vocation. However, just as in the case of the gifted, the teacher is concerned principally with the vast average group of students and finds it difficult to provide necessary services for the retarded who require individualized attention and assistance.
Children with mental retardation develop in the same way as people without mental retardation, but more slowly. By definition, persons with mental retardation have problems with thinking and learning such as attention, perception, or memory. Depending on the extent of the disability there will be different outcomes for academic, social, and vocational adjustment.
Over 200 causes of mental retardation have been identified, but many others are not known. The known categories fall into these general classifications:
Genetic - x-ray exposure, genes inherited from parents, Rh blood factor incompatibility, Down's Syndrome, error in metabolism, or recessive genetic traits.
Problem in Pregnancy (prenatal)- poor nutrition, measles, tumors, glandular disorders, infections, exposure to toxic agents and drugs, or radiation.
Birth Problems (perinatal) - premature birth, prolonged birth, reduction of oxygen to the infant's brain.
Post Birth (postnatal) - disease that affects the brain (chicken pox, measles, meningitis, whooping cough); fever, injuries to the brain, lack of certain chemicals in the blood, or glandular imbalance.
Environmental Factors - deprived environment and malnutrition.
Only 3% of the population have mental retardation, and only about 15%
of this small group have greater than mild disabilities.
By comparison to peers, a mentally retarded person passes through developmental
milestones more slowly and will be slower to learn and reveal slower development
of physical skills. Due to other complications, there may also be concomitant
conditions associated with the condition such as physical handicaps, speech
impairments, visual impairments, hearing defects, epilepsy, and others.
Characteristics
The characteristics of mental retardation are somewhat circular, because
students are identified and diagnosed on the basis of
criteria that are later used to describe them.
Intellectual Skills. By definition mental retardation
means that mental skills are subaverage, so this is the primary
characteristic.
Adaptive Skills. Due to the fact that adaptation to one's
social and physical environment requires intellectual ability, persons
with mental retardation are likely to demonstrate significant differences
from others. If they do not, classification as mentally
retarded is erroneous, despite the measure intelligence quotient.
Academic Achievement. Due to subaverage intellectual functioning,
persons with mental retardation are likely to be slower
in reaching levels of academic achievement equal to their peers.
This stands to reason. However, many students are ultimately
able to reach some level of literacy, it just takes much longer.
Motivation. Motivation is a problem for persons with any
disability because it is learned. Constant comparison to others who
perform in many areas with apparent ease can be frustrating and diminish
motivation, diminish self-esteem, and sometimes create
"learned helplessness" and belief in failure.
Speech and Language. Due to diminished intellectual functioning
and associated neurological conditions, many children with
mental retardation have delayed language and speech problems.
Physical Characteristics. As in the case of speech and
language problems, mentally retarded persons have slower physical
development (e.g., toilet training, walking) and are likely to have
some forms of associated physical problems.
Difficulty Attending. Children with mental retardation do not necessarily have more difficulty attending than children of the same mental age, but they are often associated with age peers and the contrasts are more noticeable in terms of developmental delay.
Impairments in memory, particularly short-term memory. Research has shown that many persons with retardation have good long-term memory, but they have difficulty remembering in the short term, especially if the facts or complexity of the learning situation are not readily apparent.
Difficulty with the generalization of skills. The inability to generalize is related to the inability to think abstractly.
Limitations in adaptive skill areas. As a consequence of limited
intellectual ability, decisions important for adjusting to new circumstances
and problems becomes evident in many areas of adaptation to daily activities
that require deliberation and decision making.
| Classroom Accommodations
Providing accommodations for students with mental retardation is similar to learning disabilities, because in many ways the problems of adjusting to the classroom are similar. See: 1994 Update on Inclusion in Education of Children with Mental Retardation |
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Intellectual functioning significantly below average. In general, an IQ of 70 or lower is required. For persons unable to take a test, clinical judgment is used. .
Impairments or deficits for age group. There must be impairments in at least two of the following areas:
Validity and reliability of tests
Mental retardation is manifested before age 18. In order to make a valid determination it is necessary to use valid tests and assessment procedures. Valid assessment must take into account and rule out cultural and linguistic differences. In addition to subaverage intellectual functioning, which is determined by a test, it is necessary to also determine that there are limitations in adaptive skills that occur within the context of community environments typical of the individual's age peers and is indexed to the person's individualized needs for supports. Adaptive skill areas are those daily living skills needed to live, work and play in the community. They include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics (reading, writing, basic math), community use and work.
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history, characteristics, terminology, and notes in this section.