Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Abstract
The problem of mental retardation has existed in the society throughout its lifetime. It is known that approximately 3% of people worldwide do not have age-appropriate normal cognitive abilities and are commonly called “mentally retarded” or “people with developmental delays”. This research paper gives a detailed explanation of the modern mental retardation concept, explains the causes of the disease and categorizes the degrees of intellectual disability. The author gives a detailed description of how to diagnose the disease, explains its prevalence and etiologic factors. The research also describes the methods of treatment and recommendations on social adaptation of people with the mental retardation.Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Introduction
According to modern scientific ideas, the concept of “mental retardation” has a collective meaning, which combines the most different in their origin forms of pathology of mental activity. It includes mental retardation associated with brain damage of genetic, organic, intoxication nature and other harmfulness. Scientists isolate forms of mental retardation caused by the influence of adverse social and cultural factors: improper upbringing, educational neglect, negative somatic and psychogenic influence, vision and hearing defects.
Any harmfulness acting on the body, which has not finished its formation and physiological growth, can lead to total or partial delay of its development. Long enough and strong pathological effects on the immature brain may lead to deviations in its differentiation and, consequently, disturbances in the mental development of the child. Severity and forms of mental retardation depend on time of influence of adverse biological and damaging social factors, location and extent of the disease process, as well as its intensity. Mental retardation is characterized by a number of common clinical signs. The main one is a general underdevelopment of all complex forms of mental activity. In this pathological condition, congenital or acquired before the age of 3 years old, suffer intelligence, thinking, perception, memory, attention, language, motor and emotional-volitional sphere.Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Accurate estimates of the prevalence of oligophrenia are difficult to be conducted due to differences in diagnostic approaches, social acceptance of mental abnormalities and accessibility of health care. In most industrialized countries oligophrenia frequency reaches 1% of the population, but the vast majority (85%) of patients has mild mental retardation. Frequency of moderate, severe and profound mental retardation is respectively 10%, 4% and 1%. Male to female ratio ranges from about 1.5:1 to about 2:1. Moderate and severe mental retardation is equally represented in the various social strata of society, mild forms are more frequently observed in low-income families (Khattak, 2011).
The modern concept of mental retardation
According to the American Association of Mental Deficiency (AAMD), the term mental retardation means “general intellectual functioning at a level significantly below the average with concomitant deficit of adaptive behavior, manifested during development” (Vandeweyer, 2009). Diagnosis of mental retardation requires compliance of three criteria.
- General intellectual functioning at level significantly below average. The first requirement concerns the general intelligence level of the individual. It is defined and measured by results of individually conducted standardized test of intelligence. The upper limit of the zone of mental retardation usually accepts the norm IQ = 70: all persons with IQ below this critical exponent satisfy the first criterion of diagnosis.
- Deficits of adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior is defined as the degree of compliance with the standards of personal independence and social responsibility expected of a person of a given age in a given cultural environment. This criterion is difficult to reliably measure due to the fact that these standards vary depending on age and culture. In general, individual moving to the next level of development is expected to increase independence, self-mastery and compliance of requirements and norms of society.
- Manifestation during the development period. The third requirement is included mainly to distinguish mental retardation and a number of other disorders, which are also characterized by low IQ and adaptation deficit. These include conditions such as brain damage from stroke or trauma and emotional disorders. It is important to distinguish those who have lost mental faculties and those, who have never been able to develop them (Hamel, 2005).
Definition of mental retardation proposed by AAMD has several important connotations. First, this definition is applied only to the mental development at the moment and does not declare irreversibleness of disorder. Second, the two-dimensionality of the definition (low intelligence and adaptation deficit) is important because it eliminates the diagnosis of social competence of the individual as mentally retarded on the sole ground of low IQ level. Finally, the AAMD proposed definition takes into account the context of development and emphasizes the need to evaluate the success of assignments appropriate for the age group of the person (Raymond, 2006).Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Causes of mental retardation
Causes of mental retardation are numerous and varied. They are usually divided into external and internal. They can affect the period of fetal development, during the birth and in the first months (or years) of life. The most common causes:
- Severe infectious diseases during pregnancy – flu, measles, etc
- Various intoxication, ie painful condition of the organism of expectant mother, arising under the influence of toxic substances produced in violation of the exchange process. Intoxication often happens due to the rampant use of drugs by a pregnant woman. They can change the development of fetus (Battaglia, 2003).
- Severe malnutrition during pregnancy, ie metabolic disorders in organs and tissues, causing disorder of their functions and changes in the structure
- Infection of the fetus by various infections, such as toxoplasmosis
- Pregnant woman with syphilis infections often transfers spirochete to fetal
- Fetal traumatic injuries
- Birth injury resulting from forceps crushing the baby’s head during passage through the birth canal in protracted or excessively fast delivery
- Prolonged asphyxia.
Heredity factor is one of the main among the internal causes of mental retardation. It has been found that about 75% of mental retardation is of genetic form. Heredity factor manifests itself in particular in blood incompatibility of mother and child (Rh factor), chromosomal diseases. Normally, fertilized egg has a stable number of chromosomes – 46. In Down’s syndrome, nondisjunction of the twenty-first pair of chromosomes leads to the fact that these people have not 46 chromosomes as normal, but 47 chromosomes (Vasconcelos, 2004).
Violations of protein metabolism in the body are another internal cause. For example, a special form of severe dementia is phenylketonuria, which is caused by this reason;
Baby’s inflammatory diseases of the brain and its membranes (meningitis, meningoencephalitis of different origin) are often causes of mental retardation.
In recent years, mental retardation of children can be caused by high radiation of areas, unfavorable environmental conditions, alcoholism or drug addiction of parents, especially mothers. Also, difficult material conditions of family play a role in mental health of a child. In such cases, the child does not get good nutrition necessary for physical and mental development (Ahuja, 2005).Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Diagnostics of mental retardation
The diagnosis of mental retardation affects the entire life of person, so the survey should be carried out carefully and in full. Mental hypoplasia is most evident in the age when the child acquires the normal motor and speech skills. This usually occurs in the third year of life. Mentally retarded children have belated first holding of head, sitting, crawling, babble, later pronouncing syllables, words, phrases. Emotional reactions are impulsive, without halftone; such children often fall into emotional extremes, their motives or primitive, or pointless. Later, it is observed weakness thinking, in all cases, concrete thinking predominates over abstract. For a correct diagnosis it is necessary to determine the cause of the pathological condition. To do this, it is necessary to explore heredity, except of hereditary metabolic defect (phenylketonuria, homocystinuria, etc.), conduct cytogenetic examination except the cases where the cause is known (Down’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, mucopolysaccharidoses, etc.) (Knight, 1999).
Medical psychologists conduct quantitative measurements of intelligence using standardized tests. They have an error not going beyond the mean values, but allow to assess the parameters of the required accuracy of intellectual development, especially in the senior high school students.
Children with IQ of 80 to 90 have difficulties with studying at school, especially when school underachievement is combined with conduct disorder. These children are not mentally retarded, and they are diagnosed “mental retardation.” Thanks to special educational programs such children can succeed in school and in future lead a normal life (Parmet, 2002).
L.Olmen and K.Yaffe believe that about 7 million people in the USA can be diagnosed as mentally retarded. Currently, less than 10% of them are contained in institutions, mostly individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Known organic etiology can be detected in less than 15% of mental retardation. Most of the cases with known etiology refer to the deep and severe cases (Weitzman, 2013).
Degrees of mental retardation
Since the advent of intelligence test, the classification of mental retardation is based almost exclusively on IQ level. J. Grossman developed standard system, which distinguishes mild, moderate, severe and profound mental retardation. People with mild retardation have IQ in the range 55-59 points. These people have usual appearance and normal behavior, no overt signs of mental retardation. In adulthood, many of them are able to find a job that does not require full qualification, and cope with it, but often they need help in social and financial spheres. They are usually able to take care of themselves and easily orient themselves in familiar terrain. Intellectually, they are at the level of 4-5 grade students. Motor retardation and poor reading skills do not allow them to be competitive in the labor market. One of the typical problems of adults with mild mental retardation is their inability to organize their leisure time (Ribeiro, 2004).Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
So, according to the severity of intellectual defect, mental retardation is divided into three groups: idiocy, imbecility and debility.
– Idiocy is the most severe form of mental retardation (IQ ≤ 20). Active speech is reduced to reproduce separate often distorted words; its understanding is grossly violated. Maldevelopment of motility is manifested in slow motion and disrupting coordination; in locomotor field disorder influences standing and walking skills. Emotions are extremely primitive, condition of pleasure and pain depends on the degree of satisfaction of instinctual needs. Patients are helpless, they need supervision and care (Kaufmann, 2000).
– Imbecility is a pronounced mental hypoplasia (IQ = 20-50). Speech is more developed than in idiocy. Vocabulary reaches 200 – 300 words. Patients have delayed motor development, but they are capable of learning basic operations. Good mechanical memory is a certain support in training elements of reading, numeracy and writing. Basic emotional reactions are relatively developed. Lacking initiative, patients are easily lost in unfamiliar surroundings and need constant care and supervision.
– Debility is a mild mental hypoplasia (IQ = 50-70). It is the most common form of mental retardation. With the help of special programs, patients are capable of learning basic skills of reading, writing, and numeracy; however, they show a clear lack of abstract thinking and prevalence of specific associations. Patients have more pronounced characterological features, there is quite a development of personal identity and emotional attitude to the environment. Social adaptation and professional training are possible. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account their increased suggestibility, imitation, that in some cases contribute to antisocial behavior (de Vries, 2005).
Treatment of mental retardation
Main role in the rehabilitation of children with mental retardation belongs to pedagogical process. Specialists offer parents to place a child with mental retardation in an educational institution, where he will be trained in a special program. Of course, it is difficult for many parents to reconcile with the presence of a child’s intellectual defect. Therefore, parents need a contact with doctors, teachers and psychologists. Parents should understand that the best adaptation is possible only if the course is within the capabilities of the child. According to the law, placement in a special educational institution is only possible at the request of the minor’s parents or his legal representatives. Child psychiatrists conduct observation and treatment of pupils in specialized schools (Inlow, 2004).Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Children with mild mental retardation for 8 years learn the program based on concrete-visual teaching methods. They master uncomplicated labor skills and are able to adapt to the environment.
Children with moderate and severe mental retardation with a relatively good degree of mechanical memory are able to acquire writing, reading and serial account. But due to inertia and stagnation of thinking, they use knowledge as memorized dies, and they can not use them creatively. They can master the skills of self-care and elementary work skills. In some cases, they may participate in the core work processes under control.
Children with profound mental retardation are characterized by almost complete undevelopment of thinking and speech, decreased reaction to the surrounding; they do not or find it difficult to stand and walk, thus they are in need of constant care and supervision.
Specific current somatic disease (phenylketonuria, hypothyroidism, etc.) must be treated in a specialized institution. If mental retardation is not associated with the current painful process, drug therapy should be directed to the accompanying neurosis, psychopathic, psychotic (delusions, hallucinations) symptoms. The choice of therapy is strictly individual. There can be used neurometabolic stimulants: piracetam (nootropilum), pantogamum, phenibutum, aminalon; stimulants: glutamic acid, vitamins B1, B6, B15. With increased intracranial pressure (liquorodynamic violations) doctors prescribe magnesium sulfate, diakarb glycerol. When convulsions along with appropriate there is a need to use pantogam (Weitzman, 2013).Mental Retardation’s Essay Example
Conclusion
Mental retardation is a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which is primarily characterized by impaired abilities manifested at maturity and provides the overall level of intelligence, ie cognitive, speech, motor and social abilities. Retardation can occur with any other mental or physical disorder or occur without it. However, retarded may have entire range of psychiatric disorders, frequency of which is at least 3-4 times higher than among general population. Moreover, mentally retarded persons more often become victims of exploitation and physical and sexual abuse. Adaptive behavior is always broken, but in a protected social environment where support is provided, violation of patients with mild mental retardation may not have explicit nature.
2-3% of the U.S. population (7 million people) is considered mentally retarded. More than 100,000 children with this disease are born annually; 1 of every 10 Americans belongs to a family with mentally sick member (Weitzman, 2013). Mental retardation is often associated with other diseases, such as cerebral palsy or seizures. Sometimes mental retardation is connected to autism – a severe developmental disorder.
Patients with mental retardation often have defects in the immune system, significant biochemical changes in key metabolic processes. This can cause more severe course of banal infections. The average life expectancy of patients with mild to moderate mental retardation is about 50 years, persons with profound mental retardation usually live not longer than 20 years.Mental Retardation’s Essay Example