Mental Impairment In Children

What is "mental impairment"?

Mental impairment is a topic that can be broken up in several different ways. The umbrella is mental health impairment, mental health retardation, and mental health disorders. Mental health retardation is an intellect disfunction. You have mental retardation after an IQ of 7 or below is tested. You have mental health disorder if you have a disorder of mood, anxiety, behaivor, thinking or psychosis.

What are the possible causes of mental retardation?

The possible causes of mental retardation are varied and many. There's lots of research that supports genetics, trauma, or disruptive developmental delays. The significance of knowing is that often this will help with the treatment planning, but in general it's testing early, noticing developmental delays, whether walking, talking, toilet training haven't been met appropriately, and being able to support that child with a good, solid treatment planning process.

At what age are children commonly diagnosed with mental retardation?

The ages mental retardation are typically diagnosed are within the 3-5 year age range, because that's when children are developing the most. You will start to see the lack of developmental milestones of walking, talking, or toilet training, or the loss of those in children with mental retardation in this age range. But typically, mental retardation is diagnosed within that range.

What is the treatment and prognosis for a mentally retarded child?

Mental retardation is diagnosed after an IQ is tested at 70 or below. Depending on the number from 70 to 0, it will be mild, moderate or severe mental retardation, and depending on the deficits of that child the treatment planning process is built into place. If the learning deficits that have been identified in that process are significant, tutoring or special schooling will have to be implemented. If a regressive behavioral therapist has to be implemented because this mental retardation is at a level that is severe enough that a child doesn't know how to walk, they may need physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy. This will all be dictated by the severity of the mental retardation.The prognosis for a child with mental retardation significantly depends on the severity of it and the age at which it's diagnosed. So the earlier, and the less severe, the better your outcome will be.

What special education is available for my mentally retarded child?

Special education in school is available for your child if they are mentally retarded, depending on again, the severity of the mental retardation. Schools will do what they can do to be able to meet your child's educational needs, either through tutoring or specially tailored teacher/student ratios