Mentally Challenged Children – Psychology Notes – For W.B.C.S. Examination.

This classification is given to children with poor IQ, typically in the range of 70-75 or less. They have low adaptive behaviour or daily living skills (eating, dressing, communication and social skills they are slower than their peers in acquiring life skills such as speech development or logic.Continue Reading Mentally Challenged Children – Psychology Notes – For W.B.C.S. Examination.

Types of Intellectual Disability in Kids

Intellectual disability has been stereotyped by movies and television shows. They have made people believe that a mentally disabled person is slow and dim-witted, often ridiculed as the village idiot. In reality, this disability is nuanced with different scales of limitation, and there is room for improvement for those afflicted.

• Mild Intellectual Disability: More than 85% of kids with the disability fall in this category and have no trouble until shortly before high school. With an IQ of around 50-69, they are sometimes unable to grasp abstract concepts but can, by and large, learn at a considerably fast rate and function independently. 
• Moderate Intellectual Disability: Falling under the IQ range of 36-49, they constitute about 10% of the children that are afflicted with intellectual disability. These children can be integrated into society as they can pick up speech and essential life skills; however, their academic performance is likely to be dismal, and they would perform poorly in school. These children can have some amount of autonomy but cannot remain independent for a long duration.
• Severe Intellectual Disability: With an IQ of 20-35, these kids are in a minority of 3-4%. Through extensive training, kids with severe intellectual disability may be able to learn necessary life skills, but because they have an abnormal development, they would need frequent assistance.
• Profound Intellectual Disability: This is the most severe form of disability and is also the rarest, with only 1-2% of mentally challenged children constituting this group. They have IQ less that 20. They are severely handicapped and require extensive supervision due to poor life skills. However, with regular training and setting a routine, they may be able to pick up some essential skills.

Causes of Intellectual Disability in Children

Although most causes of intellectual disability cannot be identified, there are some that can be related to this disability. Some of them are:

• Genetic: Over 30% of mental retardation is attributed to genetics. These children are likely to suffer from problems such as Down Syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
• Head Trauma: A severe head injury can cause inflammation in the brain. This can change the mental state of the child and lead to difficulties in memory, attention and reasoning.
• Pregnancy-Related Issues: Pregnant women who do recreational drugs, smoke and drink alcohol can severely affect the brain development of the foetus.
• Illness: Children suffering from measles can develop encephalitis, which causes intellectual disabilities. Infants suffering from congenital hyperthyroidism are also at the risk of poor brain development.
• Exposure to Toxic Materials: Elements such as mercury, lead and cadmium are known to affect intellectual growth and cause intellectual disability.
• Many cases of intellectual disability are due to unknown aetiology.

Signs and Symptoms of Intellectual Disability in Children

Not every child is the same. Thus, even children with intellectual disability show different signs and symptoms. These signs depend completely on the level of their disability. The most important thing in children with an intellectual disability is their inability to navigate the tasks of daily living, and participation in family, school, and community activities. Other symptoms and signs of intellectual disability in children:

• Difficulty in articulating a point
• Learning speech at a slower rate
• Misplacing objects
• Having trouble remembering things
• Poor academic performance
• Overall low intelligence
• Poor performance in IQ tests
• Particular attention required to learn simple skills
• Have trouble putting on clothes

Other than these, intellectually disabled children also show behavioural symptoms like –

• Aggression
• Depression
• Anxiety
• A tendency to inflict injury on self
• Are impulsive
• Have suicidal thoughts
• Have poor interpersonal relationships
• Depend excessively on parents
• Are unable to respond to situations in a measured manner
• Have a low attention span

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