Mental retardation

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The primary goal of treatment is to develop the person's potential to the fullest. Special education and training may begin as early as infancy. This includes social skills to help the person function as normally as possible.

It is important for a specialist to evaluate the person for coexisting affective disorders and treat those disorders. Behavioral approaches are important in understanding and working with mentally retarded individuals.

The outcome is related to the aggressiveness of treatment, personal motivation, opportunity, and associated conditions. Many people lead productive lives while functioning independently; others require a structured environment to be most successful.

Complications vary. They may include:

• social isolation
• inability to care for self
• inability to interact with others appropriately

Call your health care provider if you have any concerns about your child's development, if you notice a lack of normal development with motor or language skills in a child, or if there are associated disorders that need treatment.

Review Date: 12/01/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.