Mental retardation (intellectual disability) is a developmental disorder that manifests itself in a significant reduction in intellectual functions. It is associated with difficulties in learning, communication, performing simple everyday activities, and gaining social competences. Although a mental retardation cannot be fully cured, the implementation of appropriate therapeutic techniques at an early stage of a child's development may help him or her later become independent.

Mental retardationis a term that covers a wide spectrum of developmental disorders of varying severity. It is not a disease entity, but a set of symptoms accompanying many genetic diseases (e.g. Down's syndrome), neurological (e.g. cerebral palsy), metabolic diseases, resulting from changes in prenatal life or physical trauma during childhood.

Mental retardation can be considered in two aspects:

  • clinico-medical - then this term means a congenital or existing from childhood reduction in the level of intellectual development,
  • psycho-social - then the main emphasis is put on the social aspect of disability, its consequences for interpersonal skills and independent functioning in society (going to school, work, taking care of formal matters, running a home).

In the community of psychologists and educators, the term "mental retardation" is considered as stigmatizing and perpetuating negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities (even though the name officially functions in medicine and rehabilitation). Therefore, it is urged to use the term "intellectual disability" in non-medical nomenclature, which has a more neutral overtone.

Mental retardation - classification and symptoms

In the classification of intellectual development disorders, the IQ criterion on the Wechsler scale is most often used.

69-55 Wechsler's IQ - mild mental retardation

It corresponds to the level of intelligence of a person aged 10-12 and is the mildest form of mental retardation. It is the most frequently diagnosed type of intellectual disability (it accounts for 85% of alldiagnoses). People with mild disabilities have problems with abstract thinking, are less perceptive, have weaker memories, and their ideas are less accurate. They are unable to understand some concepts, especially those relating to complex phenomena and objects. Concrete-pictorial thinking dominates in them. They are poor at drawing conclusions, cause-effect reasoning, comparing and generalizing. They have no problems in family life, they generally go through the process of socialization well, although the role of the environment and its attitude towards the disabled person are decisive here. Children with mild mental disabilities show retarded motor development: they later learn to sit and walk.

54-35 Wechsler's IQ - moderate mental retardation

Corresponds to the intellectual functioning of a 6-9-year-old. Diagnosed in 10% of cases. The moderately handicapped person has difficulty paying attention and has a very slow learning pace. He can only master the basics of writing, reading and numeracy and learn simple professional activities. As a child, he develops with a long delay - he sits down at the age of about 2, learns walking at the age of 3. He shows great sensitivity and becomes easily attached to educators. Has poor control over his emotions, drives and aspirations. It can be apathetic, very calm, not causing any educational problems, or vice versa - hyperactive, disobedient, with a tendency to disturb and destroy objects.

34-20 Wechsler's IQ - severe mental retardation

Corresponds to the level of development of a 3-6 year old child and affects 3-4% of diagnosed cases. A severely handicapped person has serious problems with motor skills, speaking, perceiving, remembering, and carrying out even simple commands. It is difficult for her to concentrate - she can focus only on objects that meet her needs and stand out, for example, with a clear color. He is able to show affection, but he does it in a very simple way, without fully controlling his emotions. He can take care of hygiene and fulfill his basic needs. However, he is not able to go through the socialization process and requires the help of a caregiver all the time.

Less than 20 Wechsler's IQ - severe mental retardation

People with this type of disability have a similar level of intellectual ability as 2-3-year-old children. They are unable to learn and remember. They master a maximum of 3 words and respond to several commands. They lack clear symptoms of love life, they are able to convey only very simple emotional messages. They are completely dependentand require the constant care of another person.

Mental retardation - causes

The causes of mental retardation include primary and secondary factors.

The primary causes include genetic factors such as:

  • chromosome aberrations - consist in the development of an excess of chromosomes or a change in their structure. The most common chromosome aberration is trisomy 21, which is the cause of Down's syndrome;
  • genetically determined metabolism disorders, e.g. phenylketonuria, galactosemia.

Secondary causes of mental retardation are damage to the cerebral cortex in the prenatal and childhood periods. They can occur as a result of:

  • taking illegal substances during pregnancy (sleeping pills, psychotropic drugs, narcotic drugs);
  • viral disease (measles, rubella, chickenpox, shingles, mumps) during pregnancy;
  • malnutrition or vitamin deficiency in the mother;
  • psychoaffective symptoms in the mother during pregnancy (traumatic experiences, stressful situations, aversion to the child);
  • radiation, chemical and mechanical damage to the baby in the womb;
  • hypoxia and birth injuries;
  • nervous system infections in a newborn baby (e.g. meningitis);
  • mechanical damage to the cerebral cortex in a child.

Mental retardation - types of developmental disorders

Mental retardation accompanies many genetic, neurological and metabolic diseases. The most common diseases that cause intellectual dysfunction include:

  • Down syndrome
  • Angelman's band
  • Jacobsen's syndrome
  • Burneville's disease (tuberous sclerosis)
  • childhood autism
  • Rett syndrome
  • epilepsy
  • cerebral palsy
  • phenylketonuria
  • galactosemia
  • toxoplasmosis
  • mucopolysaccharidosis
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Mental Retardation - Treatment

Mental retardation cannot be completely cured, but it can affect the development of some intellectual functions in children who show its early symptoms. Thanks to this, in the future it will be easier for them to adapt to life in society and achieve the level of development necessary to achieve relative independence.

Features that indicate intellectual disability may appear - depending on the degree of disability - as early as 3-5 years of age. Then the process of learning and acquiring social rules by the child is inhibited. The soonera diagnosis of a handicap, the better the treatment will be.

At the first stage of treatment, it is necessary to determine the degree of intellectual disability on the basis of psychometric tests (e.g. the aforementioned Wechsler IQ test). Then, depending on the results obtained, an individual program of teaching and rehabilitation of the child is established (in the event that the symptoms are accompanied by delayed motor development). The treatment mainly involves cognitive training, i.e. activities aimed at the development of the cognitive functions of the brain. It increases the intellectual abilities of the child, improves the ability to concentrate and the pace of remembering.

A child with diagnosed mental retardation should attend a special educational institution, where he has the opportunity to participate in educational programs conducted by qualified staff. These types of schools are able to adapt the curriculum to the intellectual abilities of students, they offer classes that develop not only the mind, but also motor skills and psychosocial skills. Their infrastructure is adapted to the needs of children who, in addition to intellectual dysfunctions, have a significant degree of physical disability.

Category:

Psychiatry