As children grow up, it is the hope of their parents that they grow into fine adults both physically as well as mentally. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are a number of individuals with intellectual disabilities within the general population of Portsmouth, PA who need to be understood and treated specially. While the condition is present in both children and adults it is usually identified during the early childhood years.
This disability was and is still known in many areas as mental retardation. It may occur in isolation or in combination with physical disorders. Combinations are frequently seen in the case of conditions such as Down syndrome and the Foeatal alcohol system. The predisposing factors are numerous and are classified as social, biomedical, behavioural and educational. Infections that occur in pregnancy and in the perinatal period are particularly notorious.
One of the biggest challenges that affect these people is the difficulty in learning new things. They tend to take a long time to grasp issues. For this reason, one needs to have a lot of patience when teaching them. There is a need to repeat things several times for the child to understand. As a result, many of the affected children have to be enrolled into special schools where they will be given individualised attention.
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.
Research has established that a number of things can be done so as to minimise the chances of having a child suffering from the disability. One area that ca be used for intervention is social support. Expectant women should get proper nutrition and care to provide a conducive environment for foetal growth. Genetic counselling of prospective couples is another strategy that has had tremendous success.
Intellectual disability is considered the commonest developmental disability. While it is a major challenge for the parents and the affected individual, near normal lives can be realised with proper training. Early identification and training are central to the realisation of this. It is important to point out that the limitation is not a disease; it cannot be transmitted from one person to another.
This disability was and is still known in many areas as mental retardation. It may occur in isolation or in combination with physical disorders. Combinations are frequently seen in the case of conditions such as Down syndrome and the Foeatal alcohol system. The predisposing factors are numerous and are classified as social, biomedical, behavioural and educational. Infections that occur in pregnancy and in the perinatal period are particularly notorious.
One of the biggest challenges that affect these people is the difficulty in learning new things. They tend to take a long time to grasp issues. For this reason, one needs to have a lot of patience when teaching them. There is a need to repeat things several times for the child to understand. As a result, many of the affected children have to be enrolled into special schools where they will be given individualised attention.
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.
Research has established that a number of things can be done so as to minimise the chances of having a child suffering from the disability. One area that ca be used for intervention is social support. Expectant women should get proper nutrition and care to provide a conducive environment for foetal growth. Genetic counselling of prospective couples is another strategy that has had tremendous success.
Intellectual disability is considered the commonest developmental disability. While it is a major challenge for the parents and the affected individual, near normal lives can be realised with proper training. Early identification and training are central to the realisation of this. It is important to point out that the limitation is not a disease; it cannot be transmitted from one person to another.
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