Just as is the case with physical abilities, all of us are not born with the same intellectual abilities. There are many individuals with intellectual disabilities in Portsmouth, VA. What this simply means is that these special groups of people may have limitations in the level of problem solving, reasoning and learning. These disorders are almost always noticed in the affected person before the age of 18.
This condition was formerly known as mental retardation. In some cases, it may coexist with physical developmental abnormalities such as is the case of Down syndrome and foetal alcohol syndrome. There are a number of risk factors that have been identified. These are broadly divided into biomedical, social, behavioural and educational. Infections occurring during the prenatal period are a significant case.
One of the biggest challenges that the affected persons face is the inability to grasp issues fast. Most of them need to have issues repeated to them over and over before they can understand. It is therefore very important when one is attempting to impart knowledge and skills in such children. If possible, these children should be taught in special schools in which they have the attention of a specially trained teacher.
Some cases are very obvious from the onset especially to the parents or babysitter. Some, however, remain subtle and manifest later on as the child continues to develop into an adult. Commonly, an IQ test is used as a screening test to determine whether or not a child has mental limitation. For a diagnosis to be made, though, there is need to have a comprehensive review by a psychiatrist. There must be a limitation in adaptive behaviour and intellectual functioning.
Adaptive behaviour encompasses three main areas. There are conceptual skills, social skills and practical skills. Conceptual skills refer to those related to language and literacy, time, self direction and number concepts. Social skills revolve around interpersonal relationships. They are the skills that help us form friendships and to solve conflicts. Practical skills are necessary for daily living and personal living. The affected persons are put into different groups depending in the extent of limitation.
The different classifications used for groups of individuals affected help in creating appropriate management options. When assessing a child for the condition it is important to consider the immediate surroundings. The community in which a child grows up has a big influence on what kind of adult they will grow into. The child can only be said to have a limitation when compared to their immediate community and not any other.
It has been shown through research that a number of measures can be undertaken to reduce the incidence. Ensuring that there is strong social support structure for an expectant mother is one of them. With such a strong structure, cases of malnutrition and abuse are immensely reduced. Premarital genetic counselling has also been shown to be useful as it gives potential couples an opportunity to undergo screening.
Intellectual disability is the commonest type of developmental disabilities. Although it presents a major challenge to both the child and the parent, it can be managed. The outcomes are variable and depend mainly on the extent of limitation and level of training. The key to better results is depends on timely diagnosis and specialised training. It is wrong to discriminate against persons with the disability since it is not a disease.
This condition was formerly known as mental retardation. In some cases, it may coexist with physical developmental abnormalities such as is the case of Down syndrome and foetal alcohol syndrome. There are a number of risk factors that have been identified. These are broadly divided into biomedical, social, behavioural and educational. Infections occurring during the prenatal period are a significant case.
One of the biggest challenges that the affected persons face is the inability to grasp issues fast. Most of them need to have issues repeated to them over and over before they can understand. It is therefore very important when one is attempting to impart knowledge and skills in such children. If possible, these children should be taught in special schools in which they have the attention of a specially trained teacher.
Some cases are very obvious from the onset especially to the parents or babysitter. Some, however, remain subtle and manifest later on as the child continues to develop into an adult. Commonly, an IQ test is used as a screening test to determine whether or not a child has mental limitation. For a diagnosis to be made, though, there is need to have a comprehensive review by a psychiatrist. There must be a limitation in adaptive behaviour and intellectual functioning.
Adaptive behaviour encompasses three main areas. There are conceptual skills, social skills and practical skills. Conceptual skills refer to those related to language and literacy, time, self direction and number concepts. Social skills revolve around interpersonal relationships. They are the skills that help us form friendships and to solve conflicts. Practical skills are necessary for daily living and personal living. The affected persons are put into different groups depending in the extent of limitation.
The different classifications used for groups of individuals affected help in creating appropriate management options. When assessing a child for the condition it is important to consider the immediate surroundings. The community in which a child grows up has a big influence on what kind of adult they will grow into. The child can only be said to have a limitation when compared to their immediate community and not any other.
It has been shown through research that a number of measures can be undertaken to reduce the incidence. Ensuring that there is strong social support structure for an expectant mother is one of them. With such a strong structure, cases of malnutrition and abuse are immensely reduced. Premarital genetic counselling has also been shown to be useful as it gives potential couples an opportunity to undergo screening.
Intellectual disability is the commonest type of developmental disabilities. Although it presents a major challenge to both the child and the parent, it can be managed. The outcomes are variable and depend mainly on the extent of limitation and level of training. The key to better results is depends on timely diagnosis and specialised training. It is wrong to discriminate against persons with the disability since it is not a disease.
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