Mental Retardation

Question 1

Which child is considered mentally retarded?

Answer 1

A child who scores below 70 on a standardised IQ test and have significant difficulties adapting to his environment is considered mentally retarded.

Question 2

Classification of MR

Answer 2

Classification of MR is based on severity: mild, moderate, severe and profound.

Question 3

On what basis is a child considered MR?

Answer 3

The concept of mental retardation “is based purely on IQ test scores; no judgments are made about origins or causes, about emotional,motivational, social or familial factors, or about prognosis” (Reber & Reber, 2001: 430).

Question 4

What terms are based on causation of MR

Answer 4

The terms like educable mentally retarded and trainable mentally retarded are based on the causation of MR.

Question 5

What are the broad categories of causation of MR?

Answer 5

Causes are divided into two broad categories: physical and cultural/familial causes.

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Question 6

Physical causes:

Answer 6

Physical causes include genetic and chromosomal disorders and brain damage that occurred prenatally (due to disease, malnutrition, drug exposure), during birth, or postnatally (due to accident or illness). Almost all cases of severe and profound mental retardation have physical causes.

Question 7

Cultural Causes:

Answer 7

Cultural familial causes are more insidious. The child with cultural familial retardation shows no brain damage but may come from deprived environments and from environments that have dysfunctional elements.

Question 8

What characterizes people with MR?

Answer 8

Persons with retardation are unable to make adequate degree of adjustments to many life circumstances because of their limited intellectual and adaptive capacities.