Mental Retardation and Your Daily Life

In 2001 research was conducted and found that 3 out of 100 people have mental retardation. Mental retardation is diagnosed by conducting an IQ test. During this test if they score below a 70 to 75 they are considered to have a learning disability. Another test is performed to see how their adaptive behavior is and if they are able to perform daily task without the help of someone else. Adaptive behavior and a persons IQ determines if that person has mental retardation. There are many ways that people who have mental retardation can have a fulfilled life and there are also ways that the people around them can help them.

In January 1983, a son was born named Wesley. Wesley started to show mental retardation symptoms early in life. Although Wesley has a slight learning disability, he is still classified as having mental retardation since most of his life he was unable to do activities that most other people his age could do. Wesley grew older and began to learn about his condition through the help of his mom, Shelia. After understanding his condition, he focused more so that he could live a better life.

Some conditions of mental retardation do not allow an individual to live their life the way that Wesley has. There are patients who need to be looked out for 24 hours a day because they are not able to do such things as use the bathroom by themselves, eat by themselves, or even talk.

There are approximately 87% of people with mental retardation who are just below average for their IQ. There is another 13% that has an IQ below 50 and these people often have more trouble understanding, communicating, and functioning in their daily life.

There are many symptoms of mental retardation such as; lack of communication skills, inadequacy in daily living, and their social skills may be insufficient compared to others.

Even though there are different levels of a learning disability, many people who have mental retardation go on to live life the best way that they know how.

There are many causes of mental retardation such as; a complicated pregnancy, problems during birth, health complications, and genetic conditions. Women who have a child with mental retardation often wonder why this has happened to them and how they can fix it. There is no cure for mental retardation but a person with this learning disability can learn from those around them with them through the help of family members, friends, doctors, and teachers.

Living with a person who has mental retardation

Nearly all schools have a special education program to help those who have mental retardation. This does not mean that if you know someone who takes a special education class, that they have mental retardation, they could just have a learning disability other than mental retardation.

Special education classes

Special education classes are taught by individuals who have went through the special training that is required for someone to teach people who have a learning disability. The level of learning is different but is often focused around the students IQ. Special education classes can be very beneficial to the students and to the parents involved.

Stress

There may be a lot of stress with a person who is dealing with someone who has mental retardation. Stress is normal and you may feel that you can't deal with it anymore. There are special hotlines set up and group meetings to help those who live with someone who has mental retardation or a learning disability.

Doctors

Social Security can be set up for a person who has mental retardation and this can help to pay for the doctor bills and their living expenses when they become older. There are a lot of people with mental retardation that often has some other type of disability such as a speech disorder or muscular dystrophy. Because mental retardation often comes with another disability, it is important to have regular check-ups with their doctor.

Resources for parents

Many schools now have programs especially made for the parents so that they might learn about the disorder. The American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is a great resource for parents and teachers. The AAIDD offers many tips, advice, and resources that will benefit those who live with a person with mental retardation or other learning disability. There are also organizations that you can volunteer for or you can learn more through them.

How to help someone with mental retardation

Allow them to focus on the things that they like the most. There were times when my cousin would often sit in front of the window staring at the birds for hours just because he liked the color of them. Allowing an individual to learn from what they enjoy is key to helping them accomplish more.

Teaching them activities that help them to stay focused is a great exercise to do. When we first learned of Wesley's learning disability, we wanted to teach him new things but found that it was often complicated. Over time we started to learn new methods through other families of children with mental retardation. We would have Wesley's IQ tested once a year and would focus on those things that someone with his IQ would learn. This was a great stepping stone for us since we learned a lot more about his capabilities and weaknesses.

Teachers of special education are just like any other teacher and often set up a lesson plan for that week. Ask the teacher what activities that they will be doing so that you can help your child to learn those while being away from school.

Do not pressure your child into learning. I see parents who often pressure their children into going to beauty pageants when the child just wants to play. The same applies here; forcing your child to learn is not the right way to teach them. Try putting practice into your daily life or get tips from the teacher.

Mental retardation and other learning disabilities are hard to cope with but with the right tools and the right attitude, a child will be able to succeed at their full potential.