Volume 6 Issue 10 October, 2016
❌Mentally retarded children have no or less feelings and emotions.
✅Mentally retarded children have the same range of feelings and emotions as others.
❌Cerebral Palsy means brain damage, therefore the children is mentally retarded.
✅In some children the damage can extend to the intellectual part of the brain. In other cases intelligence is normal even though performance may be hampered.
❌No cause for mental retardation is known and it cannot be prevented.
✅Mental retardation can be caused by any condition which impairs development of the brain before or during birth or in early childhood. Well known causes are rubella during pregnancy, toxoplasmosis, and chromosomal abnormalities like Down’s syndrome etc. Proper antenatal and postnatal care, avoidance of drugs, alcohol during pregnancy etc. are some prevention strategies that can be adopted.
❌Adults with intellectual disability can pose sexual danger to others because they are sexually promiscuous and therefore should not be taught about sex.
✅Adults with intellectual disability tend to be sexually inhibited. Sex education opportunities should be provided to them.
❌Persons who are severely and profoundly mentally retarded must be locked away in institutions for their own and society’s safety.
✅Systematic training efforts have proven that most people with severe and profound mental retardation can learn to at least care for their basic needs. Many can perform useful work with support and can otherwise adapt to normal patterns of life.
