Learners With Mental Retardation

Learners with
Mental retardation
Intelligence, Intellectual Characteristics, and Academic Achievement
Research on American children with emotional and behavioral
disorders that used national samples revealed that these children
have average IQ scores with a mean score of 86 points with more
than half of the samples scoring between 91 and 90 points (Valdes et
al., 1990).
Mental retardation is a developmental disability that results to in
substantial imitations of 3 or more major activities in daily living. It is
characterized by significantly sub-average intellectual functioning
existing concurrently with related limitations in two or more of the
following adaptive skills areas: communication, self-care, home living,
social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety,
functional academics, leisure and work. Mental retardation manifests
before age
There are four classifications of mental retardation
1. Mild mental retardation- With IQ scores from 55-70
2. Moderate mental retardation-With IQ score from 40-54
3. Severe Mental retardation- With IQ score from 25-39
4. Profound Mental Retardation- With IQ scores below 25

4 Categories of mental retardation according to the intensity of needed
support are:
1. Intermittent support. This pertains to a support to persons with mental retardation only if
needed. This is given at a certain period of time just like helping a person go to school from home
and vice versa.
2. Limited support. This is required support consistently, though on non-daily basis.
3. Extensive support. This is support needed on daily basis like in home living tasks.
4. Pervasive support. It is daily extensive support, perhaps of a life-sustaining nature required in

multiple environment.
Causes of Mental Retardation
Mental Retardation can be acquired in different period of
development
1. Prenatal- those that originated before birth. This is usually

caused by chromosomal disorders, maternalinfections and
nutritional deficiency
2 Perinatal those that originated during birth
3 Postnatal and environment- those that originated after a child's

birth like psychological disadvantages
Causes under Perinatal Period
1. Intrauterine disorder such as maternal anemia, premature delivery,

abnormal presentation, umbilical cord accidents and multiple
gestation in the case of twins, triplets and quadruplets. Improvement
in fetal monitoring and subsequent increase in caesarean births have
reduced the likelihood of perinatal causes 2. Neonatal disorders such
as intracranial haemorrhage, neonatal seizures, respiratory disorders,
meningitis encephalitis and head trauma at birth.
Causes under Postnatal Period
1. Head injuries such as cerebral concussion, confusion or lacerations 2 Infections

such as encephalitis, meningitis, malarla, German measles, rubella
3. Demyelinating disorders such as post infectious disorders, post immunization

disorders;
4. Degenerative Disorders such as Rett syndrome, Huntington disease, Parkinson's

disease,
5. Seizure disorder such as epilepsy, toxic-metalic disorders such as Reye's
syndrome lead or mercury poisoning
6. Malnutrition especially lack of protein and calories;
7. Environmental deprivation such as psychosocial disadvantage, child abuse and

neglect, chronic social/sensory deprivations; and
8. Hypoconnection syndrome.
Learning and Behaviour Characteristics of Leamers with Mental
Retardation
Deficits in cognitive function often results to poor memory, slow

learning rates, slow leaming rates, attention problems, difficulty in
generalizing what has been learned and taught and lack of
motivation. Many of the individuals who are mentally retarded are still
able to acquire adaptive skills but still larger number of individuals are
not able to do so throughout their lifespan.
Educational Programs
1. Early intervention programs

The provision of early intervention programs to children with
developmental delays has gained wide acceptance in the past
decades. Skills that are normally leamed in the early childhood are
taught at a time when he or she would have grown older or less
flexible.
5 reasons why early intervention services should be provided:
1. During intervention, secondary disabilities that would have gone

unnoticed can be observed
2. Can prevent the occurrence of secondary disability.
3. Lessens the chances of placement in a residential school since a

child with the basic self-care and daily living skills has a good chance of
qualifying for placement in special education program in regular school.
4. Family gains information about the disability and learns how to
support fulfil the child's need.
5. Hasten the child's acquisition of the desirable learning and

behaviour characteristics for the attainment of his or her potential
despite the presence of disability
Models of Early Intervention
1. Home-based Instruction programs. The goal is to provide a

continuous program instruction both in school and at home for a more
effective management of the handicapping condition.
2. Head start program. All members of the family including the

household helpers are trained to implement the program. Monitoring
and evaluation of the program show positive result.
3 Community based rehabilitation services. A measure taken at the
community level that use and build on the resources of the
community to assist in the rehabilitation of those who need
assistance including the disabled and handicapped.
4. Urban basic service program. Children with disabilities who are not
receiving special education services were placed in this program

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Learners with

1. Mild mental retardation- With IQ scores from 55-70

2. Moderate mental retardation-With IQ score from 40-54

3. Severe Mental retardation- With IQ score from 25-39

4. Profound Mental Retardation- With IQ scores below 25

2. Limited support. This is required support consistently, though on non-daily basis.

4. Pervasive support. It is daily extensive support, perhaps of a life-sustaining nature required in

1. Prenatal- those that originated before birth. This is usually

2 Perinatal those that originated during birth

3 Postnatal and environment- those that originated after a child's

1. Intrauterine disorder such as maternal anemia, premature delivery,

1. Head injuries such as cerebral concussion, confusion or lacerations 2 Infections

3. Demyelinating disorders such as post infectious disorders, post immunization

4. Degenerative Disorders such as Rett syndrome, Huntington disease, Parkinson's

6. Malnutrition especially lack of protein and calories;

7. Environmental deprivation such as psychosocial disadvantage, child abuse and

Deficits in cognitive function often results to poor memory, slow

1. Early intervention programs

1. During intervention, secondary disabilities that would have gone

2. Can prevent the occurrence of secondary disability.

3. Lessens the chances of placement in a residential school since a

5. Hasten the child's acquisition of the desirable learning and

1. Home-based Instruction programs. The goal is to provide a

2. Head start program. All members of the family including the

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