The Problem of Mental Retardation in the United States - Article Example

Intellectual disability Intellectual disability or formerly known as mental retardation is generalized disorder characterized with sub average cognitive functioning and deficiency in two or more adaptive behaviors, mainly manifesting before age of 18 not including severe expectances. These disorders include both a component relating to mental functioning and other correlated with individual skills accommodation in their environment. Development is unfortunately reduced and so devoting more time is needed for learning essential, adaptive skills, such as speaking, walking, dressing or eating. Because 3 out of 100 people in US have an intellectual disability and also nearly 614,00 children ages 3- 21 have some level of intellectual disability and need special education in schools (NICHCY, 2009') it is valid appreciable the significances of mental retardation. Indeed 1 out of every 10 children who need special education has some form of intellectual disability. Indeed as aforesaid it is marked significantly below average score on test of mental ability and limitation in function in area of daily living as making discussions, participate in leisure, social, school and work activities and areas of personal health and safety . People with this disorder have different degree of impairment and recognizing them is more easy thought classifying a person's level of function. So intellectual disability it is rating from mild to profound, also stating the disability thought intelligence (IQ) or thought types and amount of support they need. Support is categorized such as intermittent which means occasional support, limited which means supported such as a day program in a sheltered workshop, extensive which means daily, ongoing support and pervasive which means a high level of supported for all activities if daily, including full time nursing care. Following the international classification classes of IQ mental retardation is profound IQ below 20 ;severe with IQ 20 -34 ; moderate with IQ 35-49; mild with IQ 0-69 and borderline intellectual functioning 70 -70 IQ mental retardation. According to date, adequacy on IQ test scores estimated that 3 % of the total population are considered in this vulnerable group. Otherwise, adequacy is needed for supporting estimated only 1 % of people that are classified as cognitive limitation. Different issues should be considered in mental retardation, following these health issues, social issues and psychological issues as essential parts or participation could gain appropriate picture for these disorder. Observing health issues following fact are relevant for appropriate approach. Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and Fragile X syndrome the three most common inborn causes. Others cause could be genetic condition, consequences of abnormal genes inherited from parent or gene combinations errors. Prevalence is presence in genetic conductions such as Down syndrome, Klienfelter's syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, neurofibromatosis, congenital hypothyroidism, Willliams syndrome, Phenyilketonuria, and Prader-Willi syndrome. Also, other genetic condition could be included such as Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Mowat-Wilson syndrome, genetic ciliopathy. Rarely abnormalities in X or Y chromosomes cause disabilities, appropriately 48, XXXX and 49, XXXXX syndrome can affect girls and 47, XYY, 49, XXXXY, or 49, XYYYY can affect boys, worldwide. Also, problems during pregnancy can establish mental retardation such as inappropriate fetus cell dividing during growing or women who consume alcohol or gets infection such as rubella can have baby with these disorder. Problems during labor and birth, such as insufficient oxygen could establish development disability result of brain damage. Exposure to toxins such as lead and mercury can cause mental retardation, or disease such as whooping cough, measles or meningitis can cause mental disability if inappropriate medical care is established. Iodine deficiency, spared in 2 billion people worldwide is leading preventive cause of mental disability, in areas where it is endemic. These cause goiters, hyperplasia of thyroid gland. Most common is mild impairment of intelligence known as cretinism cause by iodine deficiency. A lot of areas are concerned with these problems such as India with 500 million suffering from deficiency, 54 million from goiter, and 2 million from cretinism. Others counties as China and Kazakhstan have begun taking government action, whereas Russia has not. Concerning malnutrition, which is common cause of intelligence reduction, has affected poor countries and famine such as Ethiopia. Injuries to the brain and head, autism and pervasive development disorder could contribute to mental disorder. In addition, a higher rate of intellectual disability is correlated with medical condition such as epilepsy. These people appear to have at least twice the risk of sustaining accidental injuries than general population. (Sherrard et al, 2001) However, disorder associated with intellectual disabilities as epilepsy is correlated with higher risk of accidental injuries. Risk at home are higher for these population, present even 75 % for accidental injuries compared with 33% of general population. This is all consequence of reduced development relationship correlated with reduced intellectual functioning. Common injuries also include asphyxia and drowning leading to death, falls and asphyxia associated with increased hospitalization (Sherrard et al, 2001) and falls, transport injury and burns leading to attendance at accident and emergency and general practice clinics. Even though increased risk of accident injuries exists, preventing of these accidents is little covered. These people are also more prone to bowel disorder that general population consequence of inappropriate behavior, lack of exercise, poor diet and low fruit and fiber consummation. Indeed constipation is common also and inappropriate treating and malnutrition could develop bowel cancer. These people also don't have high standard of hygiene and therefore they are prone to gastrointestinal upsets and threadworm. These people also have feeding problem starting from bulbar palsies affecting the chewing and swallowing of food, to psychogenic vomiting, reflux, regurgitation and behavioral disorders such as hyperplasia, anorexia and pica alongside secondary physical features such as constipation, abdominal distension and in more severe cases of pica medical emergencies such as bowel perforation. Hypotonia could also appear correlated with adequate symptoms, obesity as extremely present and all these lead to secondary health problems. In addition, disease population has higher risk or oral disease, urinary infections consequences of poor hygiene and incontinence, musculoskeletal problems, which are secondary consequences from sedentary lifestyle, obesity, inadequate nutrition, and endocrine problems. Problem with reproductive system as hypogonadism can usually appear, absence of menarche, a lack of aggression, and disease in endocrine and cardiovascular system are also commonly reported. Relevant issue for these people with disabilities is also the social issue. Social issue is important for progressing and accepting this population like normal part of society. Shunt of primitive acceptance of these populations to appropriate acceptance would devout contribution both to society and to these people with disability. Concepts such as normalization, social role valorization, social deconstruction, community living, and inclusion has developed for widespread balefire in people with disabilities. The development of normalization further known as social rule valorization introduced the concept normal and valued lifestyle of these people. These encourage ascribing these people with disabilities valuable, especially social relationship as residential accommodation and employment. This group is supposed to have appropriated acceptance, personal control, equal civil rights, access to opportunities, and equal provision of services and public supports. In different countries, different progress is made for adequate social participation of these people, but indeed aforesaid parts are essentially improved and indeed content. So right of these people is being indeed addressed, and the concept of discrimination in physical, sociological, educational ground is better recognized in legislation and legal procedures. Observing education system there have been movement for including these children in regular classes. Today in may school system has developed support personnel who assist this group. Progress has cause closing sheltered workshops and promoting community based work indeed. These shelter workshops were designed to provide locations where people with disability could have steady work that was appropriate to their ability's, but unfortunately it became also encourage segregation and off the hook society for these people with disabilities. From the other side the number of community-based vocational programs have arisen as a result that attempt to help people with disabilities find work with employers in the community and participate in these same level as all employer. There are many positive aspects of these programs such as development of personal relationship between people and the success of individuals with disability in the workplace. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks that limit the effectives such as lack of peer, lack of understanding disabilities in workplace, unwillingness to accommodate the need of people with disability over the long haul and the changes of interest of employers over time. Similar advantages and disadvantages in other aspects of life such as adult life was indeed real dissatisfaction for lot of them because to entrance to partnership and marriage, and leisure and recreation were unavailable. Restricted normal adult lifestyle is consequence as a difficulty in forming and maintaining relationship. Others face with difficulties in legal, procedural, social policy barriers that could be redressed. From the other side technology has helped people with disabilities, such as talking computers, motorized wheelchair, accessible public transportation, chirping stoplights and others. This is remarking step in improving participation in social life as a part of it. Each society has obligation to include everyone with disabilities in all aspects of its functioning. In an ideal world, society should established appropriated accommodation for everyone with and without disabilities. Considering that everyone face different challenges in appropriate stage and facing these challenges should be normal progress regardless of the degree of difficulty. Therefore, disability in an ideal world does not exist and so these remind as how far are from achieving the ideal. Indeed these communicative, worm, and wellness people with disabilities are great workers especially in industry as manual work and in ribbon factory's where repeating such as packing is presence. It is sad if inappropriate places in society will be established instead of treating them equal to each participant in society. However, thanks to evolution more relevant are these population in each level of society, first as his huge size and second as effective participated with contribution. The psychological issues as important part of mental health issue concerns the following: many psychological factors of these people with disabilities remain essential for development of their growth and acceptances from society. Indented these people do not know about themselves and it is hard to realize and form a picture of himself and indeed reckoning of their body parts is hard sometimes not achievable. Their logical- mathematic level of thinking is high developed, instead of abstract thinking, which it doesn't exist. In some people with disabilities, speech could be reduced proportional to reducing of thinking. Depending from level of mental retardation also hearing and eyesight could be reduced and some motor faction could be reduced. For these people whose physical develop late, basic habits is hard to learn, it is needed more time, but indeed they are good at learning and good workers in thinks where repeating is base. There they are best even better then people without mental disabilities. Unfortunately, these people face interpersonal conflicts, violence or sexual abuse because they are easy to manipulate and actually a lot of them fill hopelessness. People with intellectual impairments are at an increased risk of sexual abuse with rates ranging from 25% to 88% (Chamberlain et al, 1984). Actually, sexual behavior of these group have been resulted of increased vulnerability and denial that abuse can accrue all leading to limited accessed to sexual services According to Sobsey (1994) he stated that physical abuse is a future in 40 % of sexual abuse cases reported. People with intellectual impairment are usually easily manipulated and these may result of lack of understanding sexual precautions essential for reducing risk of sexual shared infections and pregnancy. This is especially relevant for people with mild and borderline intellectual impairment involved in prostitution. According to Lung and Chen (2003) data showed that 11.8% of female prostitutes had either full or permutation of the gene associated with Fragile X syndrome and 35.1% were found to have a mild or borderline intellectual impairment. The denial of sexuality and sexual behavior on these people has caused denial in sexual health services and in primary healthcare services as cervical screening .Because of the stereotype believes that if they don't have sexuality they would be sexual active and not requiring cervical screening has devout risk vulnerable group among people with intellectual disabilities. Tension exist between these two different opinions, government policy which promotes sexual behavior in people with intellectual impairment and an individual's level of disability and adaptive functioning level which leads most people with intellectual impairment to be classed as vulnerable adults (Clark and O'Toole, 2007). Physical abuse of these vulnerable people is a significant problem ,according to data eve 11,5% of children has been subject to maltreatment with physical neglect (98%) and physical abuse (36%) as most common form present. The type of physical abuse is different starting from slapping, punching, twisting arms ,thought resulting in fracturing the person's arm, throwing chairs at clients, pulling hair until most serious incidence identified. Sleep disorder is also prevalent in this population with wide etiology as mental health problem, other medical disorder as epilepsy, and medication, and sensory deficiency, specific disorder as autism, cerebral palsy and Tourette's syndrome. Even 80% of these population developed significant sleep disorder. In addition, hyperkinetic disorder which includes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can cause sleep disorders. Chronic sleep could affect individual adaptive functioning and cause consequences in near environment. For example, accusers' poorer tolerance to frustration and changes in routines which can result in the increase of pre-existing challenging behavior and these could affect emotional health of family member. In recent years, it has been growing the interest in scientific understanding the disabilities and the developing of supportive technologies. It is marked enormous advantage in cause of human disabilities and in understanding and use more effective social, educational and psychological intervention, medical treatment, assistive devices and many form of accommodation. The part of progression sustain from removal of curbs for those in wheelchairs; simplified language in brochures for those with language and cognitive difficulties; and the use of 'tilt' buses for those in wheelchairs. The right and the fitting in physical, social, education ground is being these days better recognized with full participation in all aspects life. Indeed this population is essential and unfortunately very vulnerable group that need special cares appropriated to their disabilities. Actually, appropriate care from society, from health coverage and from physicals aspect should be devoted for right development of these populations. Such as adequate nutrition and dietary programs, adequate sexual program, appropriate participation in society and etc. References: 1. Bartlett P., Lewis O. and Thorold, O. 2007. Mental Disability and the European convention of human rights. The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. 2. Beirne-Smith M., Patton, J.M. 2006. Mental Retardation: an introduction to intellectual disability. London: Prentice Hall. 3. Bickenbach, J. E. 1993. Physical Disability and Social Policy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 4. Brown, I., Brown R. I. 2003. Quality of Life and Disability. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd. 5. Bullitis, E.A. 2001. Individuals with Intellectual Disability as board members: issues, challenges and strategies. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Adelaide: Flunders University. 6. Chamberlain A, Rauh J, Passer A, et al. 1984. 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