Mental Retardation Treatment and Prognosis

Treatments for Mental Retardation are not designed to "cure" the disorder. Rather, therapy goals include reducing safety risks (e.g., helping an individual maintain safety at home or school) and teaching appropriate and relevant life skills. Interventions should be based on the specific needs of individuals and their families, with the primary goal of developing the person's potential to the fullest.

Infant/Toddler services for the treatment of MR might be home or center based, and will likely focus on obtaining an appropriate diagnosis and developing relevant and realistic goals for the family and child. An Individual Family Service Plan, set up by a social worker, counselor, or school administrators, can help identify individual supports and services that are available to you and your child.

Pre-School or School Aged services may also be home or center-based, and often include an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is developed in collaboration with your child's school administrators and/or counselor, and will detail the goals for improving the child's skills, particularly within the academic setting. This plan may include psychological counseling, occupational therapy (designed to improve physical activity and help individuals acquire skills for living), language therapy, recreational activities (e.g., becoming involved in various clubs or teams, if appropriate), transportation services, and/or parent education, training, and counseling.

Some professionals might recommend medication treatment for your child, particularly if he or she is demonstrating problematic behaviors such as aggression. However, always talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of using medications. Generally speaking, medications should only be used if your child has a co-morbid (additional) condition that is likely to respond to medication, such as depression. Co-morbid conditions are situations where one type of mental illness or developmental delay coexists with another; for example, children who are mentally retarded frequently have a Feeding Disorder (problem maintaining proper nutrition). Between 40% and 70% of individuals with Mental Retardation also have an additional psychiatric disorder of some variety. The exact reason for this high rate of co-morbidity is unclear; however, some researchers think that when people are mentally retarded, their impaired cognitive (thought) processes decrease their ability to regulate their behavior or emotions, which makes it more likely they will develop an additional disorder.

Prognosis

Many individuals with Mental Retardation, particularly those with mild or moderate levels of MR, are often ultimately able to live independently within the community. The likelihood of an adult with MR being able to live independently can be enhanced by having such individuals attend special schools or by placing them into special education classrooms as children. If true independent living is not an option for some individuals, other semi-independent living situations are available, including group housing. Even children with more severe cases of mental retardation who are not able to live independently can be challenged to learn, grow, and develop to the best of their ability.

As raising a child with MR can be very stressful, it is often useful for parents to seek out sources of support. Organizations such as Best Buddies work to enhance the lives of those with mental retardation by helping them find friendships, support networks, and even employment. Parents may want to make use of various resources available on websites such as http://www.parentpals.com for helpful tips, books, and message boards

For more information, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kids Health, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities and of course to our own Mental Retardation topic center which provides additional detail on Mental Retardation.