Mental Retardation.
Mental retardation is a condition diagnosed before age 18 that includes below-average general intellectual function, and a lack of the skills neccesary for daily living.
There are multiple types of mental retardation such as Down Syndrome , Phenylketonuria , critinism , cranial anomalies , microephally, and hydrocephalus. The degree of impairment from netal retardation varies widely from profoundy impaired to mild or borderline retardation. This disease effects 1-3 % og the population. Doctors only find a specific reason in only 25% of the cases. Symptons of mental retardation are: infant-like behaivor, decreased learning ability, failure to meet the markers of intellectual devolpment, inability to meet educational demands at school and lack of curiosity.
Discrimination
Negative attitudes about mental illness have been widespread throughout history. Society has rejected persons with mental illness . Many helping professionals have avoided providing services to persons with serious mental illness . Insurance companies have failed to provide adequate payments for services to treat mental illness . In fact, many individuals with mental illness have no insurance, inadequate insurance, or inequitable benefits. Many persons with mental illness are denied insurance and others have limits placed on the amount of benefits they can receive. Medicare and private health care pay for fewer inpatient hospital days per year for individuals with mental illness, compared to individuals with general health disorders who receive more or unlimited inpatient hospital days .
Mental retardation is important because we need to learn how to understand people with special needs and learn that they need more attention than the average person and accept it. This way it would less discrimantion.
Works Cited
"Mental Retardation" , October 1998 U.S National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
9/16/10, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001523.htm#Definition,
"Types of Mental Retardation" 2000 Dialforhealth India Ltd.
9/16/10, http://dialforhealth.net/healthchannel/menatl/types.asp.
"Mental Retardation" http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/mentalretardation, 1999, A.D.A.M Health,
9/16/10, http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/mentalretardation.
"Down Syndrome"
9/17/10, http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/genetic/down_syndrome.html
"Phenylketonuria"
9/20/10, http://www.nlm.ni.gov/medlineplus/phenylketonuria.html.
"Cretinism-Congenital Hypothyroidism"
9/20/10, http://www.nlm.e-radiography.net/radpath/c/cretinism.htm
"Mental Retardation" , October 1998 U.S National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
9/16/10, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001523.htm#Definition,
"Types of Mental Retardation" 2000 Dialforhealth India Ltd.
9/16/10, http://dialforhealth.net/healthchannel/menatl/types.asp.
"Mental Retardation" http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/mentalretardation, 1999, A.D.A.M Health,
9/16/10, http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/mentalretardation.
"Down Syndrome"
9/17/10, http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/genetic/down_syndrome.html
"Phenylketonuria"
9/20/10, http://www.nlm.ni.gov/medlineplus/phenylketonuria.html.
"Cretinism-Congenital Hypothyroidism"
9/20/10, http://www.nlm.e-radiography.net/radpath/c/cretinism.htm
