Mild Retardation Symptoms in Children

Mild Retardation Symptoms in Children

The first and most important thing is to be absolutely sure that the child has mental retardation.

The label of mental retardation has a serious impact because it means that the child has a problem that is not curable. It is a label that can cause great unhappiness and worry, so use it with care.

Mild Retardation Symptoms in Children Three useful strategies in being sure about the diagnoses are:

• In the interview, ask the child to do some simple verbal or written tests that you would expect

a child of that age to be able to do easily. For example, ask a child who is three years old to tell you her name.

• For school-age children, ask for a teacher’s report on school performance.

• Get a second opinion from a child or mental health specialist.

Once you are confident that the child has mental retardation, determine its severity. The abilities a child has will be an important indicator of how much progress he is likely to make in the years ahead It is essential to educate the parents about what can be realistically expected of their child.

• Most children with mild mental retardation will be able to go to school. Many children may manage in a regular school, especially if the teachers are sensitive to their needs. Others may need special schooling. Most children will be able to care for themselves and be fairly

independent. These children will mainly have difficulties in making friends as they grow older and in finding jobs. Routine jobs may be the ideal kind of employment for them.

• Most children with moderate mental retardation will need to be in special schools. They may

need prompting and help with daily activities. For example, a child may learn to wash and go to the toilet on her own, but may need reminders and occasional checking. Most children will be dependent on their families for social interaction. Most will not be able to hold regular employment. However, some sort of sheltered employment in workshops may be possible

. Sexual adjustment may become a problem in adulthood.

• Children with severe mental retardation are likely to need care for most of their lives. They may suffer from physical disabilities and medical problems. Bladder and bowel control may not be achieved until very late. Such children may not be able to cope even in special schools.

Employment is not a realistic possibility.

If the child has a specific medical problem, such as low thyroid function, or fits, refer him for specialist advice. Other than these special (and rare) situations, there are no indications for the use of medicines for the treatment of mental retardation. Do not use ‘brain tonics’ or other medicines supposed to help ‘mental function’. These are not only expensive but will not be of any help.

Reassure the family that even though their child has limited mental abilities, she will be able to achieve many milestones in life. They must be prepared to accept a delay in these milestones and be realistic in what they expect their child to achieve. Specifically explain that there are no cures, and that they should not waste money on false claims of cures.

Teach the parents how to help the child in daily activities such as toileting and feeding. Here are some general guidelines:

• Parents should be flexible in what they expect from their child.

• According to the degree of mental retardation and the child’s age, parents should decide on what sorts of activities they want their child to learn. They should start with simple tasks and move to more complex activities only after the simpler ones have been achieved.

• Activities should be broken down into smaller parts. For example, having a bath can be broken down into holding the mug of water, holding the soap while the parent applies soap, the child soaping herself, pouring the water to wash away the soap and drying herself with a towel. Each of these parts may need to be learned separately before they can all be put together as a complete activity. The activity should be repeated for at least two weeks before the parents move on to teaching the next activity.

• The parents should stimulate the child even if they feel it is pointless. For example, they could talk to the child or read a book with him. They may need to use language that is more appropriate for younger children. As the child speaks more, the parents should keep raising the level of their own speech and story telling.

• Parents should use reward and praise whenever the child succeeds in any activity, however small.

• Parents should find activities that help them to spend time with the child and yet allow other household activities to be done. For example, the child could learn to help the mother in daily chores in the house.

• Social activities – such as learning to greet someone and say goodbye, to share toys and take turns, to ask for permission to use things that belong to others and to learn to deal appropriately with the opposite sex – are important aspects of the child’s adjustment to living independently. Parents should be consistent when giving instructions, and be a role model to the child. They should explain clearly what they expect the child to do and why, and praise her when it is done the right way.

• Parents should not overprotect the child, but should let the child do whatever he can do on his own. This will make him more confident and self-reliant.

Never ignore the child’s educational needs. Some parents simply feel like giving up on the child’s education when they discover that the child has mental retardation. Stress to the parents

their child needs education as much as any other child. Refer the family to local schools for children with special needs.

Mild Retardation Symptoms in Children. Provide information about any special schemes to help families with children with mental

retardation through either financial or educational help.

Stay in regular touch with the family. Some families go through a lot of stress because of caring for a child with mental retardation, especially when it is severe. Caring can itself be a cause of

stress and mental health problems. Refer parents to support groups in your area.