Mental retardation
Mental retardation
(MR) is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by
significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more
adaptive behaviors. Once focused almost entirely on cognition, the definition
now includes both a component relating to mental functioning and one relating
to individuals' functional skills in their environment. It has historically
been defined as an Intelligence Quotient score under 70
Levels of Mental Retardation
1.
Mild MR :
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Range 52 - 69
2.
Moderate MR :
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Range 36 - 51
3.
Severe MR :
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Range 20 – 35
4.
Propound MR :
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Range 19 or below
General characteristics of
mental retardation:
1.
Academic
•
Learning capacity of MR is limited
•
Study with rote learning (only listen but don’t know
what they learn)
•
Avoid to solve problem with thinking
•
Difficult to concentration
•
Quickly forgot something
•
Difficult to make new creation
2.
Social / Emotional
•
Can
not take care of themselves
•
Their personality are less dynamic, volatile, less appealing, not knowledgeable
•
Easy given the suggestion
•
But they are diligent and have sense of emphaty
if the environtment is conducive
3.
Physical/health
•
Both
the structure and function of the body in general they are less than normal
children
•
They can walk and speak less than normal
children
•
They
usually have a complex disorder, ex: vision disorder. This disorder not
because their organ, but there is wrong with the prossesing in the brain. So,
they can see but they don’t understand the meaning what they see.
•
They can’t feel
pain (sick), and when their body is unhealth
•
Their immuns
is not good
•
Many of MR is die in young age.
•
They’re susceptible to disease because they
can’t maintain themselves
Special characteristics of
mental retardation :
1.
Mild Mental Retardation
•
They can read, write, count with simple lesson
•
language development is limited
•
The speed of their intelligence is among half
and three quarters of the normal
children and stopped in the young age.
•
They still can associated and learn a simple
work
•
They
still can maintain themself
•
When they are adult, their intelegence same with
a normal children in the 9-12 years old
2.
Moderate Mental Retardation
•
They can’t learn an academic subjects
•
Language development is more limited than mild
MR
•
They communicate with some words.
•
They can read, write like as their name, their
address, name of their parents, ect.
•
They know about number but they don’t know about
the meaning of number
•
They almost have a skill to maintain themself
•
Usually they are trained to do something
routinely
•
When they are adult, their intelegence same with
a normal children in the 6 years old
•
They can do something with supervision
3.
Severe and propound Mental Retardation
•
Among
these individuals, motor and speech development is severely retarded and
sensory defects and motor handicaps are common. These mental retardates can
develop limited levels of personal hygiene and self-help skills, which somewhat
lessen their dependence, but all their lives they will be dependent on others
for care. However, many profit to some extent from training and can perform
simple occupational tasks under supervision.
•
Language development is most limited than mild
MR and moderate MR.
•
They communicate with litte words .
•
They can’t maintain themself
•
When they are adult, their intelegence same with
a normal children in the 4 years old
•
They can do something with supervision
sumber:
Wardani, I.G.A.K., dkk. 2007. Materi
Pokok Pengantar Pendidikan Luar Biasa. Jakarta:
Universitas Terbuka.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/childrens_health_issues/learning_and_developmental_disorders/intellectual_disability.html
