The Basics of Mental Retardation essays

The Basics of Mental Retardation essays There are many schools that service children with developmental disabilities. As a special education teacher, I will have the privilege to teach those children in need of help. That help could be in areas such as reading, writing, and the ability to comprehend. Those are the necessities that are needed to teach special needs children. In this research paper, I have researched two disorders that affect school children: mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Mental retardation is common in the United States, and mostly in schools children. I have worked with children who were mentally retarded and at the same time had cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is also another common disorder that affects school children in the classrooms. What are developmental disabilities? Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Developmental disabilities begin anytime during development up to 22 years of age and usually last throughout a persons lifetime. Mental retardation is characterized both by a significantly below-average score on a test of mental ability or intelligence and by limitations in the ability to function in areas of daily life, such as communication, self-care, and getting along in social situations and school activities. Mental retardation is sometimes referred to as a cognitive or intellectual disability. Children with mental retardation can and do learn new skills, but they develop more slowly than children with average intelligence and adaptive skills. There are different degrees of mental retardation, ranging from mild to profound. A person's level of mental retardation can be defined by their intelligence quotient (IQ), or by the types and amount of support they nee ...