The delayed reaching of developmental milestones and the lack of curiosity, remembrance, and logical thinking are some of the most commonly observed symptoms of mental retardation. Read on to know more about this disorder.
Mental retardation, more commonly known as intellectual disability (ID), is a condition in which a person has below-average general intellectual function and has difficulties in learning basic skills necessary for daily living. It is diagnosed before the age of 18. Approximately 1-3% of human population has been found out to be suffering from ID. In majority of such cases, the abnormality exists for the entire life. Anyone, irrespective of the age or gender, may become a victim of this disorder. It can be caused by a wide variety of factors, such as congenital disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, genetic defects, malnutrition, toxins, trauma, and inherited metabolic disorders. Mental retardation symptoms are quite prominent and are easily noticeable.
ID is basically grouped into four types, viz., mild, moderate, severe, and very severe or profound. A person diagnosed to be suffering from mild ID scores between 50-70 on the standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) tests. The score for a person with moderate ID lies between 35-50. In case of severe intellectual disability, the patient scores between 20-40 on the IQ test. There can be some unfortunate cases where the IQ score is in the range of 20-25. Such a case is known as profound intellectual disability. Following is a discussion of the symptoms of ID according to its various types.
The symptoms of mild ID in children often go neglected till they enter an educational setup. The most common symptoms are learning difficulties and poor social skills. Such a child can reach the educational plateau up to grade 6. Beyond this, his/her educational attainment is very difficult or impossible. With age till adulthood, the child may learn enough job skills and life skills to carry forward life on his/her own.
Children with moderate ID reach developmental milestones a bit later than their peers do. These are the earliest observed symptoms infants. Such a child faces difficulty in learning basic communication, and social, operational, and academic skills. He/she lacks the ability to retain information and remember things. This makes the child unable to learn even simple life skills. Such a child lacks curiosity, logical thinking, and problem solving capability. He/she needs constant supervision and care for survival. Such a person can achieve self-support till adulthood.
A person suffering from severe intellectual disability shows all the above mentioned symptoms of mild and severe type to a much greater degree since childhood. In addition to these, such a person shows aggressiveness and a tendency to self injury. In a majority of the cases of severe ID, the child is not able to learn the basic life skills. He/she needs another person’s nursing, supervision, and care throughout his/her entire life.
Profound ID in children is observed right from infancy.There is no muscle coordination seen in the infant. He/she is not able to reach basic developmental milestones, like talking, walking, crawling, sitting up, etc., as expected with age and growth. However, with age, though the child may learn some basic skills of self care, he/she requires constant care and supervision throughout his/her life.
Symptoms of intellectual disability are the indications of mental abnormalities. A doctor confirms the condition with the help of a number of diagnostic tests and exams. Generally, if the Denver Developmental Screening Test shows the adaptive behavior score to be below average and the IQ score below 70, ID is confirmed (degrees or stages depend on the actual results).
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for the advice of a mental health expert.
Kuchelewa kufikia hatua za maendeleo na ukosefu wa udadisi, kukumbuka, na kufikiri kwa njia ya kimantiki ni baadhi ya dalili za kawaida za kushindwa kufikiri. Soma ili upate kujua zaidi kuhusu ugonjwa huo. Ulemavu wa akili (au ulemavu wa akili) ni hali ambayo mtu ana kazi ya akili ya chini ya wastani na ana shida katika kujifunza ujuzi wa msingi unaohitajika kwa maisha ya kila siku. Ugonjwa huo huambukizwa kabla ya umri wa miaka 18. Inakadiriwa kuwa karibu asilimia 1 hadi 3 ya watu duniani wanaugua ugonjwa wa akili. Katika visa vingi kama hivyo, kasoro hiyo huendelea maisha yote. Mtu yeyote, bila kujali umri au jinsia, aweza kuathiriwa na ugonjwa huo. Inaweza kusababishwa na mambo mbalimbali, kama vile kasoro za kuzaliwa, kasoro za kromosomu, kasoro za urithi, utapiamlo, sumu, majeraha, na kasoro za kimetaboliki zilizorithiwa. Dalili za kushindwa kufikiri ni dhahiri sana na zinaonekana kwa urahisi. Ugonjwa wa kifua kikuu (ID) umegawanywa katika aina nne: mpole, wa wastani, mkali, mkali na mkali sana. Mtu aliyegunduliwa kuwa na ugonjwa wa akili wa hali ya chini anapata alama ya kati ya 50 na 70 kwenye vipimo vya kiwango cha akili (IQ). Kwa mtu mwenye ID ya wastani, alama ya kawaida ni kati ya 35 na 50. Kwa wale wenye ulemavu mkubwa wa akili, kiwango cha IQ cha mgonjwa ni 20 hadi 40. Kwa mfano, kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na IQ ya chini ya 20 au zaidi. Kesi kama hiyo huitwa ulemavu mkubwa wa kiakili. Yafuatayo ni majadiliano ya dalili za ID kulingana na aina zake mbalimbali. Dalili za ID laini kwa watoto mara nyingi hupuuzwa mpaka waingie katika mfumo wa elimu. Dalili za kawaida ni matatizo ya kujifunza na ustadi duni wa kijamii. Mtoto wa aina hii anaweza kufikia kiwango cha elimu hadi darasa la sita. Zaidi ya hayo, mafanikio yake ya elimu ni vigumu sana au haiwezekani. Baada ya miaka kadhaa, mtoto anaweza kujifunza ujuzi wa kutosha wa kazi na ujuzi wa maisha ili kuendelea na maisha yake mwenyewe. Watoto wenye kiini cha utambuzi cha wastani hufikia hatua za ukuzi baadaye kidogo kuliko wenzao. Hizi ndizo dalili za mapema zaidi zinazoonekana kwa watoto wachanga. Mtoto kama huyo hukabili matatizo katika kujifunza mawasiliano ya msingi, na ustadi wa kijamii, wa utendaji, na wa kielimu. Yeye hana uwezo wa kuhifadhi habari na kukumbuka mambo. Hilo hufanya mtoto asiweze kujifunza hata ustadi wa maisha wa kawaida. Mtoto kama huyo hana hamu ya kujua, uwezo wa kufikiri kwa busara, na uwezo wa kutatua matatizo. Anahitaji uangalizi na utunzaji wa mara kwa mara ili aendelee kuishi. Mtu kama huyo aweza kujitegemeza hadi anapokuwa mtu mzima. Mtu anayepatwa na ulemavu mkubwa wa akili anaonyesha dalili zote zilizotajwa hapo juu za aina ya upole na kali kwa kiwango kikubwa zaidi tangu utotoni. Kwa kuongezea hayo, mtu kama huyo huonyesha jeuri na mwelekeo wa kujidhuru. Katika visa vingi vya ugonjwa mbaya wa akili, mtoto hawezi kujifunza ustadi wa msingi wa maisha. Anahitaji kuelekezwa, kuelekezwa na kuelekezwa na mtu mwingine katika maisha yake yote. Uwezo wa kutambua kwa kina kwa watoto huonekana tangu utotoni. Hakuna uratibu wa misuli unaoonekana kwa mtoto mchanga. Hawezi kufikia hatua za msingi za maendeleo kama vile kuzungumza, kutembea, kutambaa, kukaa, na kadhalika, kama inavyotarajiwa na umri na ukuaji. Hata hivyo, kadiri mtoto anavyozidi kukua, ingawa anaweza kujifunza ujuzi fulani wa msingi wa kujitunza, anahitaji utunzaji na uangalizi wa daima katika maisha yake yote. Dalili za ulemavu wa akili ni dalili za kasoro za akili. Daktari huthibitisha hali hiyo kwa kutumia vipimo na uchunguzi mbalimbali wa utambuzi. Kwa ujumla, kama Denver Developmental Screening Test inaonyesha alama ya tabia ya adaptive kuwa chini ya wastani na alama ya IQ chini ya 70, ID inathibitishwa (kiwango au hatua hutegemea matokeo halisi). Kutowajibika: Makala hii ni kwa madhumuni ya habari tu, na haipaswi kutumika kama mbadala wa ushauri wa mtaalam wa afya ya akili.