Mental Retardation is the below average intellectual functioning of an individual. It is often accompanied by major restrictions in functioning and certain skill areas related to self care, fitness, employment and security. Mental retardation develops before the age of 18 and takes into consideration the level of performance and intelligence. It is often treated as a personality disorder rather than a brain disorder and can occur along with other disorders such as psychoses.

This disorder occurs among children all across the world and can be extremely debilitating for the parents. Almost 2.6 million people in the Unites States are affected by this disorder and most states have legal procedures offering that individuals with an IQ below 70 who show socially unskilled or consistent problematical behavior can be categorized as mentally retarded. The initial analysis of mental retardation takes place between the ages of 5 to 6 and climaxes at the age of 15 and falls thereafter. During early childhood, maximum number of children with this disorder exhibit only a mild level of intellectual impairment and appear to be normal otherwise. The actual impairment in functioning becomes apparent when difficulties with school work and other skills are noted. If adequate facilities for the education and rehabilitation of these children are present, they can actually adapt to various skills and perform well in all spheres of social exposure.

Levels of Mental Retardation:

There are four degrees of severity of mental retardation:

Mild Retardation: This comprises of the largest number of mentally retarded individuals. Patients with this level of the disorder can be educated and their adult intellectual levels can be compared to children belonging to the age group of 8-11 years. Their social skills are much like those of adolescents minus the judgment, imagination and comprehensibility. They are capable of learning simple academic and occupational skills and can become self supportive individuals.

Moderate Retardation: Patients with this level of the disorder are trainable and can be taught how to perform certain tasks such as cooking, caretaker jobs, washing etc. Their adult intellectual levels are similar to those of children belonging to the age group of 7 years. These individuals might have physical deformities and might come across as clumsy and disgraceful. But with adequate training, they exhibit socially acceptable behavior and can become self-supportive.

Severe Retardation: These individuals are also known as dependent retarded and their motor and speech developments are severely impaired. They have a number of physical and sensory deformities and are always dependent on others.

Profound Retardation: These individuals are also known as life support retarded and cannot adapt to any kind of skills and are unable to perform even the easiest of tasks. They have central nervous system deformities accompanied by retarded growth and also have other problems such as mutism, deafness and convulsive seizures. They must stay in an institution or custodian care throughout their lives.