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Mental Retardation

            Down syndrome is the most frequent hereditary cause of mild to moderate mental retardation and associated medical problems that occurs in one out of one thousand births. People born with Down syndrome have recognizable physical characteristics and limited intellectual gifts which are due to the presence of an extra chromosome twenty one. There are several other medical conditions such as hearing loss, heart disease, and vision disorders, which are common among those with Down syndrome. Children often are the most susceptible to this disease and have a greater chance of developing health related problems.
             Studies indicate that sixty six to eighty nine percent of children with Down syndrome have a hearing loss in at least one ear, due to the fact that the external ear, the bones of the middle and inner ear may develop differently in children with Down syndrome. In addition to hearing disorders, visual problems also may be present at the early stage of childhood. Cataracts occur in approximately three percent of children with Down syndrome; however it can be surgically removed if found at an early age. Approximately half of the children with Down syndrome have inherited heart disease and associated early and high blood pressure in the lungs. .
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             Seizure disorders, though less common than some of the other associated medical conditions, still affect between five and thirteen percent of individuals with Down syndrome. There is an unusual occurrence of non fatal spasms or seizures in children less than one year of age; luckily in most cases these seizures can be treated with anti-epileptic drugs. Infants with Down syndrome are also more susceptible to transient myelodysplasia, or the defective development of the spinal cord. Also during the early years of childhood, children with Down syndrome are ten to fifteen times more likely than other children to develop leukemia, a potentially fatal disease.


Essays Related to Mental Retardation

1. Mental Retardation

... and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before the age of 18. A complete and accurate understanding of mental retardation involves realizing that mental retardation refers to a particular state of functioning that begins in childhood, has many dimensions, and is affected positively by individualized supports. As a model of functioning, it ... , chromosomal disorders are not necessarily inherited. Both parents may have normal genes, with the defect resulting from a random error when chromosomes reproduce. Other...

  • Word Count: 1992
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Death Penalty And Mental Retardation

... to this argument, with an additional focus on specific cases where the individual who is or has been on trial for the death penalty suffered from a serious form of mental illness or mental retardation. This paper shall first concentrate on the issues of criminal culpability for those who are perceived as being mentally ill and mentally retarded, where the decision to prosecute a mentally ... to understand the definition of one being mentally ill or mentally retarded as being defined by only one type of test. This creates the problem of acknowledging the conditions of mental retardation ...

  • Word Count: 5114
  • Approx Pages: 20
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3. Prevention Of Mental Retardation

... region of New Jersey. The trained staff then provides education to the children and their parents about lead prevention. Newborn Screening identifies biochemical or other inherited conditions that may produce mental retardation, or other disabilities. Babies are screened for these conditions during the newborn period. These conditions are identified using blood tests collected from a heel stick onto filter paper. (Guthrie ... brain injuries are working with this program. Through Newborn Screening, more disabilities and PKU are caught in the early stages of life now. This also helps the p...

  • Word Count: 2060
  • Approx Pages: 8
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4. Mental Retardation

... disorder. It can arise in daily life for some, but for others it is not constant. (Encyclopedia Britannica 2001) One specific major psychological disorder is mental retardation, also called Mental Deficiency. The definition of mental retardation is a subnormal intellectual development as a result of congenital causes, brain injury, or disease, and characterized by any of various cognitive deficiencies, including impaired ... hearing, social and vocational ability. A person who is considered to have mental retardation has three characteristics about them: 1) Their IQ is below 70-75(intell...

  • Word Count: 696
  • Approx Pages: 3

5. I Am Sam: A Diagnostic View Mental Retardation and Autist Sp

... 1995). However, IQ testing alone, which only measures a person's ability to perform in school, is not suffencient in its self to render a diagnosis of mental retardation (Sternberg, Grigorenko, and Bundy, 2001). Mental retardation is also evident where there is a deficit in various adaptive functioning. That is, MR is also indicated by how effectively individuals cope with common life demands and ... abilities. With the mentality of a seven year-old, Sam seems unaware that his demonstrations of affection are socially inappropriate. This behavior profile is phenotypic of a subtype of menta...

  • Word Count: 3599
  • Approx Pages: 14
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Mental Retardation: Causes and Effects

... of different reasons in any particular individual. At birth a child may not receive enough oxygen this may result in Mental Retardation. A child with Downs Syndrome will normally have some degree of Mental Retardation. This level of Mental Retardation can range from mild to profound. Another cause of mental retardation that is rarely thought of is a traumatic brain injury. This could occur from an automobile accident or any ... Simple tasks such as walking and riding a bike are very hard for these children to complete. This is due to the delay of their motor skills. Many children with m...

  • Word Count: 803
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Factors Of Mental Retardation

... areas such as school, work, social, and communication, and this condition has to have been present since childhood (18 years of age or younger). There are four categories of mental retardation. 1. Mild -80% of all people diagnosed as mentally retarded are in this category. They have an IQ of between 50 - 70. 2. Moderate -10% of all ... have serious language and motor impairment. 4. Profound - 1-2% of all people diagnosed as mentally retarded are in this category. They have severe sensor and motor difficulties. Causes of mental retardation are: 1. Genetics - 5% of mental retardation is ca...

  • Word Count: 499
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Mental Disorders

... for fear of infanticidal impulses. Some symptoms of postpartum depression are dysphoric mood, loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities, difficulties concentrating or making decisions, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, changes in appetite or sleep, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, especially failure at motherhood, and excessive anxiety over child's health ... . Diagnosis of psychological disorders is done by the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM)). In the DSM they use the 5 axes. Axis I is all categorie...

  • Word Count: 3557
  • Approx Pages: 14
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Psychological and Mental Disorders

... name for many different psychological and behavioral illnesses. Many mental disorders derive from a change in the function of our brains. Many disorders can also come from genetics, or inherited by family. Different types of disorders are Anxiety, Delirium, Delusions, Dementia, Depressive disorders, Eating disorders, Hallucinations, Mental Retardation, Neurosis, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Phobias, Post-Traumatic ... Stress Disorders, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, and Separation anxiety, and Sleep disorders. Disorders isn't just mental but physical also, each disorder has different sympto...

  • Word Count: 794
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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