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Who are mentally retarded children
The mentally retarded children fall into the lower end of the scale of intellect and academic aptitude in the categorization of exceptional children, which is opposite and counter to the brilliant and creative who fall into the high end of this scale. In terms of vocabulary, such youngsters are also referred to as “feeble-minded,” “mentally handicapped,” “mentally defective,” “mentally subnormal,” or “mentally sub-average,” among other terms. Whatever label we give them, denotes a group of kids with below-average mental functioning, which has an impact on not only their behaviour and future development but also poses major challenges for those who are in charge of their care.
Definitions of Mental Retardation
The term ‘mental retardation’ or ‘mental deficiency’ has been defined in several ways. Some definitions of mental retardation are:
- According to Page, “Mental deficiency is a condition of subnormal mental development, present at birth or early childhood and characterized mainly by limited intelligence and social inadequacy.”
- According to Rosen, Fox and Gregory, “Mental retardation refers to a chronic condition present from birth or early childhood which is characterized by both impaired intellectual functioning, as measured by standardized tests and impaired adaptation to the daily demands of the individual’s social environment.”
- According to British Mental Deficiency Act, “Mental retardation is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind existing before the age of 18 years whether arising from inherent causes or induced by disease or injury.”
