Mental Retardation - Research Paper Example

Mental retardation is when someone learns and develops more slowly than others. Mental retardation is the subpar functioning of the cognitive system which often effects the way a person may act in their environment or change the way in which their mind functions in regards to understanding and contemplating things (Hewitt & O'Nell, 1998). Mental retardation is a disorder that can be categorized in numerous ways, which means that each individual person with mental retardation is not the same in their disability as someone else might be, or in what they can or cannot do because of the disability. Unfortunately, this does not stop people from treating each mentally retarded person the same, regardless of the extent of their condition (Eaton, 2006).                  In the three scenarios given, it is very clear how very unaware many people are about how adults with intellectual disabilities should be treated and regarded in a social situation. There are many people who feel that individuals with intellectual disabilities are incapable of taking care of themselves or making decisions about what is best for them, even though there are many individuals with intellectual disabilities who are perfectly capable of tending to themselves and their needs, many even have a full sense of independence (Wadsworth et al., 2004). The common misconception is that all individuals with intellectual disabilities have the same disability. When this happens, many of these individuals not only lose their independence, but are also treated like children in the process.         There is a discrepancy between the ideal way in which adults with mental retardation should be treated and how they really are treated. This mainly comes from a lack of knowledge about the disability and any stereotypes that are associated with the disability. This lack of knowledge by the public that many adults with intellectual disabilities are treated in sometimes less than human ways; again, they are often regarded as small children who need someone else to help them function in everyday life. The first scenario is an example of this. The seven-year-old child is treated with more respect and dignity than the man with Downs syndrome. Evidence of the man being treated unfairly occurred when the person who was operating the rollercoaster ride  did not know what the man was capable of handling so the operator  required  an adult who did not have a disability to ride with the disabled man; yet the little boy was able to go on his own.        The second scenario is along the same lines of doubting whether or not an adult with an intellectual disability has the ability is capable of making decisions for himself. Unfortunately, this assumption was made by a team of medical professionals who disregarded the fact that the man with an intellectual disability was his own guardian. Even though this man was entitled to his freedom, others approached him by responding against that freedom. The freedom and ability to decide on things for themselves is also seen in the third and final scenario when a woman with Down syndrome is forcibly taken to work, even though she had expressed her dislike for the job. The behaviorist and the staff that worked at the group home where the women lived did not take the time to question what was wrong with her; instead they took the matter into their own hands, which essentially went against the wishes of the women.        There are many issues that people with mental retardation are facing, issues that need to change to make their lives better and easier. The civil rights of these people need to be altered to allow individuals with disabilities to have the same opportunities as those without. Adults with intellectual disabilities need to have more freedom in regards to their guardianship statutes, which are the laws that mandate who is in control. Oftentimes, they are appointed someone who does not listen to their needs and decides everything on their own. By changing the guardianship statutes, they would be given the opportunity to have more of a say in what goes on in their life, as well as deciding on who their guardians should be if they do not like the person that has been chosen. It is important that people with intellectual disabilities and their advocates remain up-to-date on their rights, so that they can learn to take control of their own rights. This final issue helps to keep the public informed on the importance of these rights, so that the public and potential caregivers do not risk depriving these rights of mentally challenged people.      *    One of the biggest issues involving adults that are mentally retarded are the current Federal laws that are set in place. These laws often go against the civil rights of disabled individuals. They do not have the same opportunities as those without a disability, especially in terms of getting a job; while they are unable to obtain jobs that offer typical pay due to the work that might be required, they are still entitled the chance to be employed. The first thing that needs to be addressed is that the laws that are already in place remain in place. They can set the foundation for any new laws that can be formed. Other laws that need to be added should involve the opportunities that a mentally disabled person has, especially in regards to any form of employment that offers pay, as well as social responsibilities, such as drinking and attending public events, situations that allow them to interact with others in a public setting. The current laws involve mentally retarded people needing guardians in some social situations, like going into a bar for a drink (Lapertosa & Rosenthal, 1995). The forming of such laws are implementations, as there is no legitimate reason why mentally retarded adults should be deprived of their rights because of a disorder, regardless of what may or may not be wrong with them. They still deserve to be treated with fairness and respect. They deserve the same rights that have been allotted to others. These rights include maintaining employment and being allowed the same privileges as those without the disability.         Some of the laws that need to either be altered or created also surround the protection and advocacy of adults with mental retardation. It is unfortunate to say that many adults with intellectual disabilities are often disregarded because of their conditions and sometimes those that speak out for them are also ignored. Laws need to be created and adhered to thoroughly to ensure that everyone involved in obtaining civil rights for these individuals are regarded and heard. Advocates are usually in a good position to know what needs to be done to help improve the lives of these disabled people.        Another issue concerns the laws surrounding the guardianship for the mentally retarded people that require it. They have very little say in who helps to take care of them and they are often appointed by somebody who does not listen to their needs. Very few people are willing to accept that even mentally challenged people know what is best for themselves. Those taking care of them tend to act on their own intuition without listening to the person who would know what is best. Even if a relative is assigned to tend to the mentally disabled person, they still have a professional nurse helping to assist. Regardless of this, there is still the lack of communication between the mentally disabled person and the caregivers. There are times when the caregiver does not heed to what the relative has to say either (American Association on Mental Retardation, 1973). Revising the current laws would help individuals have more of a say in who helps to take care of them so that they are guaranteed the care that they not only need but want. By revising the laws, they are given the chance to have more control of the situation and become less dependent on others.        The final issue has to deal with how informed people are in regards to the rights and opportunities available to people with intellectual disabilities, whether they are the person with the disability, the advocate, or just someone within the public. While many laws exist to benefit individuals with intellectual disabilities, such as equal rights laws, there are very few that know that they exist, let alone follow them (Reiss, 1993). The more that people know about these laws, the better the lives can be for the mentally disabled people. Their lives will be better by the fact that they will have more control of their own situations. Self-advocacy is an important aspect in fighting for civil rights, as it allows the disabled people themselves to have a chance to fight for the rights that they deserve. When a mentally disabled person acts as a self-advocate, they can take charge of their own lives, as well as how they are cared for within the medical community. Self-advocacy is something that is rarely practiced, so it is important that people are aware of it as an option.       Service providers are of vital importance when it comes to being informed of the civil rights of the mentally disabled community. The service providers are the ones who seem to forget how an individual with a mental disability should be treated. Adults with intellectual disabilities also have the right to deny something that they do not agree with or feel they need. Many service providers disregard all of this and treat them all the same, which usually means treating them as though they are not allowed to have a say in what goes on within their own lives.         If knowledge and information were more readily available to people, there would not be the gap between understanding the various kinds of help that individuals with intellectual disabilities needs. This access to information would greatly benefit those that work in environments that could cater to people who have been diagnosed with a disability. The most important thing to be aware of and to remember is that the extent of the diagnosis and their abilities and disabilities differ between each person. People should not be treated the same way based on a stereotype, especially if they are able to have an extended amount of independence or if they are their own guardian. Even with the variations in abilities, they are all entitled to the same rights, which involve making their own choices.        Mental retardation is a fairly common disability, though the information regarding it is not as widespread. While there is information out there, people do not readily have access to it. When people act on impulse or off of a stereotype, they are risking denying people their rights as citizens because they do not take into account that that disabled person is allowed the same rights as those without a disability. The more that people know, the better off everyone will be. Not only will people be properly informed, but they can learn to be more accepting when they interact with someone that has a disability. Since mental retardation makes up a huge part of the cognitive disorder population, it is vital that people are informed and are fair in how they treat individuals that have an intellectual disability.    Read More