Mental retardation and Mental illness

Mental retardation and Mental illness

Mental illness – Any mental disorder other than mental retardation
Mental retardation – A condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person which is specially characterized by sub-normality of intelligence i.e.cognitive, language, motor and social abilities.

At Home

Mental Retardation

1. Does the child respond to name/voice by 4th Month?

2. Does the child smiles at others by 6th Month?

3. Does the child hold the head steadily by 6th Month?

4. Does the child sit without support by 12th Month?

5. Can the child stand without support by 18th Month?

6. Can the child walk well by 20th Month?

7. Can the child talk 2-3 word sentences by 3rd Year?

8. Can a child eat/drink by himself by 4th year?

9. Can he tell his name by 4th year?

10. Does he have toilet control by 4th year?

11. Does he avoid simple hazards?

12. Does he get fits?

Mental Retardation
(a) If the child does not sit unassisted even much after 12-15 months
(b) Or starts to walke ven much after 2 1⁄2 years.
(c)Or starts to talk even much after 2 1⁄2 years.
(d) If a child has undue problems in doing independently any of the following
activities by the age of 6 years:
• Eating
• Dressing or
• Toilet activity
(e) Problems in holding a pencil/ or using a scissors
(f) Unable to play with a ball; or play ‘guilli- danda’ with his peers.
(g) Frequent tantrums, while playing with the peers.
(h) Usual inattentiveness to the spoken speech or addressal.
(i) Requires too many repetitions to remember simple things.
(j) Problems in naming even 5 fruits, vegetables or plants.
(k) Problems in naming the days of the week.
(l) Exhibit problems in expressing the needs in a clear language unlike the other peers.
(m) Unable to concentrate on tasks even for a short period of time.
(n) Inappropriate oral responses.
(o) Difficulty in performing daily routine work.
(p) Poor comprehension of lessons taught in the school class.
(q) Difficulty in learning new things.
(r) Difficulty in conceptualization.
(s) Does not get well along with the children of same age group.
(t) More efforts are required in learning or practicing as compared to the peers.
(u) Takes an unreasonable amount of time in perfecting any work.
(v) Poor academic achievements.
(w) Show an undue dependency on visual clues or material for learning.

Note: If the responses to any of the above 4 indicators is positive when compared to the
average school going peers of same age group & class then the child should be
properly assessed by a qualified psychologist or a teacher who is specially trained
to take care of the mentally challenged children.

DEGREE OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Source : Centres for Assessment of IQ
Child Guidance Clinics:
Clinical Psychologist/ Psychiatrist/ Paediatrician in Clinics/Hospitals
NOTE: All categories of mental retardation i.e mild/moderate/severe/profound are eligible for government benefits.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
1. Director,
Centre for Special Education
SNDT Women’s University
Sir Vithaldas Vidya Vihar
Juhu Road, Santacruz (W), Mumbai –49.
2. President
National Federation for the Mentally Retarded
13, Anand Vihar,Vinayaka Vihar
Manipal, Karanataka.
3. Thakur Hari Prasad Institute of Mentally Retarded
Vivekananda Road
Dilsukh Nagar, Hyderabad.
4. Director
National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped
Manovikas Nagar
Bhovanpalli
Secunderabad 500011
Andhra Pradesh-
Ph:040-7759267/7758817, Fax:040-7750198
(a) Regional Centre
National Institute for mentally Handicapped
C/o. N.I.H.H.
Kishan Chand Marg

Bandra (W), Mumbai– 400 050.
Ph: 022-6409176
(b) Regional Training Centre
National Institute for mentally Hand icapped
Kasturba Niketan
Lajpat Nagar
New Delhi – 110 024.
Ph: 011-6831012.
5. Joint Secretary and Chief Executive Officer
National Trust for Welfare of persons with Autism,
Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities
Block-B, Room No. 4
Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi.

6. In-Charge

Child Guidance CentreNIPCCD, 5, Siri Institutional Area

Hauz Khas, New Delhi.