Mental health articles

When should you suspect mental retardation? Suspect mental retardation if a child: • is delayed in achieving key milestones • has difficulties in school work and playing with other children; • is not able to carry out instructions. Suspect mental retardation if an adolescent: • has difficulties in social relationships with other adolescents; • shows […]

How does mental retardation affect the child? Mental retardation affects a child’s development in many respects: • physical functions, for example the child’s ability to walk and using his hands; • self-care, for example the ability to feed, bathe and use the toilet independently; • communication with others by talking and understanding what is being […]

What causes mental retardation? mental retardation causes Mental retardation occurs because the brain is not developing properly. The development of the brain can be affected by many factors. The causes of mental retardation include: • problems before the child is born, including poor nutrition for the mother, excess alcohol consumption by the mother and certain […]

What is mental retardation (MR)? what is mental retardation disorder? Mental retardation means that mental functions are ‘retarded’ or, in other words, not as well developed as expected for the age of the child. Children with mental retardation have difficulty with learning new things. The disability may affect all aspects of a child’s development, from […]