This document discusses mental retardation and learning disabilities. It defines mental retardation as significantly below average intellectual functioning and deficits in adaptive skills. It classifies the severity of mental retardation into four levels based on IQ scores: mild, moderate, severe, and profound. Learning disabilities are defined as disorders that cause a discrepancy between academic performance and intellectual ability in one or more areas such as language processing. The document discusses the prevalence, causes, characteristics, and management of both conditions.

1. MENTAL RETARDATION AND
LEARNING DISABILITIES
-BY DR. RIMA JANI (PT)
(M.P.T. PEDIATRIC SCIENCE)

2. TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS
Mental Retardation:
• Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning and concurrent
deficits in adaptive functioning.
• Severity varies considerably from individual to individual.
Developmental Disability or Delay:
• A more general term that refers to significant deficits or delays
in various areas of development.
• Areas of development include: cognitive, motor, social, physical,
emotional.

3. DEFICITS IN INTELLECTUAL
FUNCTIONING
• Intellectual functioning is assessed using IQ
tests.
• IQ scores are distributed normally, have a
mean of 100 and a SD of 15.
• Child’s performance is compared to that of
other children his/her age, and an IQ score is
given.
• How do we know when a score is below
average?

5. DEFICITS IN ADAPTIVE
FUNCTIONING
• What is meant by adaptive functioning?
• DSM-IV diagnostic criteria require deficits in
at least 2 of the following areas:
• communication, self-care, home living,
social/interpersonal skills, use of community
resources, self-direction, functional academic skills,
work, leisure, health, and safety.

6. MR - MILD SEVERITY
• IQs ranging from about 70 to 55
• The largest segment of those with the disorder (about 85%)
• Social and communication skills develop during preschool,
minimal impairment in sensory and motor skills.
• Hard to diagnose during the preschool years.
• General achievement ranges from second to fifth grade.
• Can live successfully in the community with appropriate support.

7. MR - MODERATE SEVERITY
• IQs ranging from about 55 to 40.
• About 10% of the entire population of MR.
• Communication skills develop during early childhood.
• Can benefit from vocational training and can attend to
personal care with some supervision.
• Unlikely to progress beyond second grade level in
academic subjects.
• Can live successfully in the community, completing
unskilled or semiskilled work.

8. MR - SEVERE SEVERITY
• IQs from about 40 to 25.
• Constitutes 3-4% of the entire population of MR.
• Can learn basic personal care skills.
• academically, may achieve basic familiarity with the
alphabet, simple counting, and may learn to sight read
some basic words.
• can live successfully in the community under supervision,
with their families or in group homes.

9. MR - PROFOUND SEVERITY
• IQs less than about 25.
• Only 1-2% of persons with MR.
• Most have an identified neurological condition that
accounts for MR.
• Demonstrate considerable impairments in sensory and
motor development early on.
• Require constant support and supervision.
• With intensive support, may demonstrate improvements
in motor, self-care and communication.

10. MR - PREVALENCE AND ETIOLOGY
Prevalence:
• Theoretical = 2.28%
• Actual prevalence = as many as 3%
Causes:
• Can only be specified in 25% of children with mild MR.
• Cultural-familial
• Organic
• Prenatal, perinatal, postnatal

11. L’ARCHE MODEL OF “TREATMENT”
• L’arche provides homes for individuals with MR and the people
who assist them.
• Founded by Jean Vanier in France in the 1960s.
Philosophy:
• All people have basic needs for relationship, agency, and for
being needed by others.
• Individuals with MR have unique gifts to share with others.
• Well-being results when the needs stated above are met.

12. PRESENTATION
Dual diagnosis - issues regarding the
emotional health of persons with Mental
Retardation

13. LEARNING DISABILITIES
“Learning disabilities are disorders in one or more of the processes
involved in understanding or using symbols of spoken language. The
disorders result in a significant discrepancy between academic
performance and assessed intellectual ability, with deficits in at least
one of the following areas: receptive language — listening, reading;
language processing — thinking, conceptualizing, integrating;
expressive language — talking, spelling, writing, and mathematical
computations. Such deficits become evident in both academic and
social situations. The definition does not include children who have
learning problems that are primarily the result of hearing, motor
handicaps, mental retardation, primary emotional disturbance, or
environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage”. (Ontario, Ministry
of Education, 1980)

14. SEVEN COMMON ELEMENTS OF
LD DEFINITIONS
• difficulties in academic and learning tasks
• discrepancy between potential and performance
• assumption of at least average intelligence
• exclusion of other causes
• uneven growth pattern
• disorder in one or more basic cognitive processes
(memory, auditory, visual)
• soft-signs of neurological dysfunction (clumsiness)

15. LD - ETIOLOGY
• genetic factors
• brain differences
• prenatal problems
• perinatal problems
• brain damage
• poverty

16. IMPACT OF LD ON SCHOOL/LIFE
FUNCTIONING
• Often not identified until around Grade 3
• Effect of LD on work habits
• Communication difficulties associated with LD
• Social difficulties associated with LD

17. DISORDERS IN COGNITIVE PROCESSES
ASSOCIATED WITH LD
Basic cognitive processes/skills:
• allow learning to take place
• 4 general ‘steps’: input, integration, memory, output
Input difficulties:
• visual
• auditory

18. DISORDERS IN COGNITIVE PROCESSES
ASSOCIATED WITH LD
Integration difficulties:
• sequencing
• abstraction
• organization
Memory difficulties:
Output difficulties:
• language
• motor

19. MANAGEMENT
• Occupational Therapy
• Special Education

20. THANK YOU