Intellectual disability (ID), once called mental retardation, is characterized by below-average intelligence or mental ability and a lack of skills necessary for day-to-day living . People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn them more slowly.
Does mental retardation affect the brain?
If your child has an intellectual disability (ID), their brain hasn't developed properly or has been injured in some way. Their brain may also not function within the normal range of both intellectual and adaptive functioning. In the past, medical professionals called this condition “mental retardation.”
How does intellectual disability affect a person's life?
It is characterized by deficits in intellectual functioning (learning, reasoning) and a lack of skills necessary for daily living (adaptive functioning) . Previously, this condition was called mental retardation, a term no longer used. Many people lead productive lives and learn to function on their own.
How is mental retardation causes?
Causes of mental retardation include fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect ; brain damage caused by the use of prescription or illegal drugs during pregnancy; brain injury and disease; and genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
What are the 4 levels of mental retardation?
The DSM-IV classifies mental retardation into four stages based on severity: mild (IQ score of 50-55 to approximately 70) , moderate (IQ score of 30-35 to 50-55), severe (IQ score of 20-25 to 35-40), and profound (IQ score of less than 20-25).
What is the most common cause of intellectual disability?
Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability include fetal alcohol syndrome disorder ; genetic and chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome; and certain infections during pregnancy.
Can mental retardation be treated?
A small study of 30 people with the most common inherited form of mental retardation has found encouraging evidence that some symptoms of the disorder can be alleviated with drugs .
What are three major causes of mental retardation?
Causes of mental retardation include fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect ; brain damage caused by the use of prescription or illegal drugs during pregnancy; brain injury and disease; and genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
How can we prevent mental retardation?
Prenatal diagnosis, newborn screening, dietary supplementation or restriction, hormone replacement, vaccination , and immunotherapy are just some of the techniques that have been applied to prevent mental retardation.
What is the life expectancy of someone with mental retardation?
Results. Kaplan-Meier survival plots showed a strong negative association between severity of intellectual disability and survival, with median life expectancies of 74.0, 67.6, and 58.6 years for people with mild, moderate, and severe lev- els of handicap.
What is the IQ formula?
Intelligence quotient (IQ) can be obtained by the equation MA/CA=IQ , where MA is mental age and CA is chronological age. ... Intelligence is defined as what the intelligence test measures.
How do you get intellectual disability?
Intellectual disability can be caused by a problem that starts any time before a child turns 18 years old – even before birth. It can be caused by injury, disease, or a problem in the brain. For many children, the cause of their intellectual disability is not known.
What are signs of low IQ?
- IQ <20.
- Significant delays in all areas.
- May respond to regular physical and social activity.
- Not capable of self-care.
- Cognitive abnormalities present.
- Needs close supervision.
- Requires attendant care.
How do you test for mental retardation?
The Wechsler and Binet scales remain the two dominant, language-loaded, individually administered intelligence tests used for the diagnosis of mental retardation in the United States.
Is mental retardation genetic?
Mental retardation is caused by a number of different factors. Among genetic disorders, Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome are the commonest causes of mental retardation. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited form of mental retardation.
How do you treat a mentally ill person?
- Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is the therapeutic treatment of mental illness provided by a trained mental health professional. ...
- Medication. Medication does not outright cure mental illness. ...
- Hospitalization. ...
- Support Group. ...
- Complementary & Alternative Medicine. ...
- Self Help Plan. ...
- Peer Support.
