Mental Retardation
Mental retardation is as a statement
about an individual's present level of functioning, with two primary
features:
- Limitations in intelligence
- Limitations in adaptive
behavior
The American Association on Mental
Retardation (AAMR), offered the following definition of mental
retardation in 2002 in its 10th edition of the AAMR reference manual on
definition and terminology (Luckasson, Borthwick-Duffy, Buntinx,
Coulter, Craig, Reeve, et al.):
Mental retardation is a disability
characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual
functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social,
and practical adaptive skills.
This disability originates before age
18.
An accurate diagnosis of mental
retardation requires three components:
- An IQ score of approximately 70 or
below
- A determination of deficits in adaptive
behavior
- Origins of the disability prior to age
18.
Levels of Mental
Retardation
Traditionally mental retardation has been
divided into four levels of severity, based largely on IQ
scores:
- Mild mental retardation, IQ scores from
70 to 55/50
- Moderate mental retardation, IQ scores
from 55/50 to 40/35
- Severe mental retardation, IQ scores
from 40/35 to 25/20
- Profound mental retardation, IQ scores
below 25/20
Typically these levels are used more in
clinical settings. In school settings, terms such as "severe
disabilities" or "profound disabilities" are more commonly
found.
Causes
Individuals with mild mental retardation
typically do not have any specific physical or medical cause for the
limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. In these
cases the cause is more likely to be heredity, early environment, or
some combination thereof. One exception to this is fetal alcohol
syndrome, wherein women who drink alcohol during their pregnancies are
at high risk of giving birth to babies with mild to severe intellectual
impairment, as well as other problems such as ADHD. As a general rule,
the more severe the mental retardation is, the more likely it is to have
an identifiable medical or physical cause. These include chromosomal
abnormalities such as Down Syndrome and Fragile X, metabolic disorders,
and other conditions that result in insult and injury to the brain and
central nervous system.
Characteristics
In general, people with mental
retardation are less efficient at learning than are other people. This
impairment in learning efficiency is roughly consistent with overall IQ
level. Specific cognitive deficits often exist in such areas as memory,
attention, or language.
In addition, individuals with severe
mental retardation are more likely to have brain damage, which in turn
is associated with such physical disabilities as cerebral palsy and
seizure disorders (epilepsy) and their associated physical
characteristics.
Educational and Adult
Programs
IDEA entitles every child with
mental retardation from age 3 through 21 to a free appropriate public
education through an individualized education program (IEP).
Students diagnosed with mental
retardation and receiving special education services should be provided
with access to the general education curriculum, so they can
interact with and learn from and alongside typical classmates. This can
be achieved through accommodations and modifications to the classroom's
curriculum and instruction. Special attention should be given to the
development of functional academic skills for these students. Functional
academics refer to reading and mathematics skills that are used
frequently in everyday life (e.g., reading signs or instructions,
counting change, or taking measurements).
As these individuals move to secondary
education settings, the curriculum should take on a stronger career
preparation and life skills emphasis. It is increasingly expected
that adults with mental retardation will work in inclusive work settings
alongside typical workers with supports provided there as needed, and
that these individuals will live in residential programs that represent
the sorts of homes that most people live in.
This publication is a
product of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Edcucation.
ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and
disseminated, but please acknowledge your source. This publication was
prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no.
ED-99-CO-0026. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily
reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Department of
Education.
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