Mental Retardation, types and features

Do you know the term 'Mental Retardation'? Well, a brief elaboration on Mental Retardation, its types, and the characteristics of mentally retarded children have been provided in this article.

Mental Retardation

Children who have a condition of incomplete or less than normal mental development so that they are unable to adjust to day-to-day living in a normally efficient, useful, productive, and harmonious manner are called mentally retarded. They are hence, in constant need of care, protection, supervision, and help. Thus, mental retardation is a serious disability. It creates a lot of learning problems for mentally retarded children. These learning problems create obstacles in other areas of life as well.

Thus, total life activities are affected by mental retardation.

General characteristic features of Mentally Retarded children

On the idea of the definitions given above following common characteristics of people children with Mental Retardation (less than 18 years of age) are often derived-

1. Limited functioning: Their level of functioning is extremely limited. they have difficulty not only in learning but also doing routine life jobs because of an enormous loss of conceptual, practical, and social intelligence.

2. Sub average intellectual functioning: Their intellectual functioning may be a smaller amount than average (below 80 IQ) on an intelligence test.

3. Poor performance level: If someone falls short in his performance of certain tasks from the performance of the bulk of youngsters of his own age, he's said to possess low age or sub-normal intellectual functioning. for instance, if eight years old child performs adequate to the kid of 6 years, his IQ is going to be (Mental Age/chronological age x 100) or (6 x 8x100 75)

4. Slow acquisition of skills: Academic (content-related) and non-academic (action-related) both sorts of skills are acquired by them at a really slow rate.

5. Low level of adaptive skill: they're not only slow in acquiring skills but they're always poor in adaptive skills also.

6. Early manifestations: retardation manifests itself before the age of 18. From this attitude, retardation is viewed as a disordered life period characterized by a slow rate of development.

Types of Mentally Retarded Children

American Association of Mental Deficiency has classified mentally retarded children on the basis of their IQ scores. Several other educationists have also classified them on the basis. Four broad categories of mentally retarded children are given below:

1. Borderline cases or dullers (IQ = 70-90)

2. Morons or feeble-minded (1Q = 50-70)

3. Imbeciles (1Q = 25-50)

4. Idiots (TQ Tess than 25)

Borderline or dullers

Borderline or dullers are in between the morons and the normal. They generally have an IQ from 70-90 which is why they are called Mildly retarded. The cases of Borderline and dullers are the same in physical and other characteristics but different in IQ level. Those whose IO is between 80-90 fall into the group of dull normals and those who possess IQs between 70-80 are called borderline cases. They are identified by administering standardized intelligence tests Development scale is also used for the identification of these children. It is because they are younger than their age. They are slow in demonstrating initiative. They are poor in thinking and planning.

In every population, they're about one-fifth of the entire population because the study reveals.

Only their speed will be slow. They are, however, separated from the normal children from the point of view of placement. They are called Educable Mentally Retarded (EMR)

Morons or feeble Minded

Those educationally and socially inadequate persons whose 1Q range between 50-70 i.e. Morons or feeble Minded are moderately mentally retarded, come under this category. Morons or feeble Minded are not custodial causes and an outsized number of them can study even in regular classes and in regular schools meant for the normals. Morons or feeble Minded are similar to borderline cases and dullers in some ways but different in many ways. So, the same teaching methods and strategies are adopted for them as was suitable to borderline cases but placement and administrative arrangements for them differ. Morons or feeble Minded are also called trainable mentally retarded (TMR)

Imbeciles

Mongolism constitutes the largest category here. They are severely mentally retarded. Their IQ ranges between 25-50. they need a moronity to the extent that they will not manage themselves properly. Though they will be trained to worry for his or her own bodily needs yet, they're not alleged to be trained in complex life skills. they will learn to try to do some simple jobs under supervision but they will never be self-supporting. they might always need a minimum of some care and control reception also as within the institutions throughout life. In spite of those, they will be taught some language and a few habitual behaviors.

Idiots

Idiots are profoundly mentally retarded children. They are so prone to mental retardation that they can neither be educated nor trained. Idiots possess an IQ less than 25 when measured or an intelligence test. They are totally dependent and custodial cases either in instructions or at home. Idiots cannot even dress, wash, bath, comb, brush, and so on without help. Idiots could bubble a few intelligible words with saliva dropping from their mouths. Idiots have vacant looks and they are not supposed to respond to any question.

Conclusion of Mental Retardation

In this way, we can explain mental retardation. We should take proper steps to address the problem of mental retardation found in some children. We should not take the mentally retarded as our burden. We can provide proper educational, physical, emotional, and social training to mentally retarded children.

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