Causes of Mental Retardation Essay

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Causes of Mental Retardation Essay

In order to be considered mentally retarded, you must have an IQ below 75, have significant limitations in two or more adaptive skill areas, and the condition is present from childhood (defined as age 18 or younger). People can be mentally retarded as all different levels. About 78% of mentally retarded people will only be a little slower than the average person, while in others it is very apparent (Arc of New Jersey). There are many causes of mental retardation. Causes of Mental Retardation Essay.

That includes; abnormal gene mixes from parents, errors when genes combine, overexposure to x-rays, and many more reasons. More than 500 genetic diseases are associated with mental retardation. Down Syndrome is an example of a chromosomal disorder (Mental Retardation Issues). Chromosomal disorders occur every once in a while, and are caused by too many or too few chromosomes in the restructure of the chromosomes (The Arc of New Jersey).

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Another cause is problems during pregnancy. It could happen if the mother drinks or does drugs while pregnant with the baby.

Other risks include malnutrition, certain environmental contaminants, and the mother could get ill during the pregnancy. Pregnant women who are infected with HIV may pass it on to their child. Also very stressful and physical pregnancies and births can cause damage to a child’s brain (Introduction to Mental Retardation).

Mental Retardation also occurs frequently after birth. Childhood diseases such as big coughs, chicken pox, measles, and hip disease, which may lead to meningitis and encephalitis, can damage the brain, as can accidents such as being hit in the head, near drowning situations, and most other accidents involving the head. Another that can be harmful to a child mentally is environmental fumes, lead, mercury, and other dangerous toxins (Introduction to An American History of Mental Retardation).

Bibliography

Introduction to An American History of Mental Retardation. 3-28-00. http://member.aol.com/MRandDD/introhx.htm. Causes of Mental Retardation Essay.

Introduction to Mental Retardation. 2-25-00. http://thearc.org/faqs/mrqa.html

Mental Retardation Issues. 2-27-00. http://members.amaonline.com/nrogers/mr.htm

The Arc of New Jersey. What is MR. 2-27-00. http://www.arcnj.org/html/what_is_mr.htm

Mental Retardation Mental retardation is defined as, an individual with limitations in cognitive ability and adaptive behaviors that interfere with learning. Individuals with mental retardation learn at a slower pace, have low IQs, and may reach a level where learning stops. There are no exact causes for mental retardation but some things are associated with the disability. Prenatal development problems, childbirth difficulties, and a childhood brain injury can all lead to mental retardation. An individual with mental retardation might have problems in learning and social skills. Learning problems can include: difficulty making decisions, short attention spans, and limited strategies for dealing…show more content…
Sam raises Lucy with the help of a neighbor and friends. When Lucy reaches the age of seven she begins to realize her father’s disability, something I she never noticed before. This realization begins causing problems with Lucy’s school work because she doesn’t want to be smarter than her dad.Causes of Mental Retardation Essay.  At Lucy’s seventh birthday party there is an incident with the children causing the courts to step in and take Lucy away. Sam doesn’t want to lose Lucy. Sam finds an attorney, Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer). At first Rita wants nothing to do with the case, until she is given a guilt trip by every one. Rita takes the case and even decides to do it for free. Rita her-self has problems through out the movie with her family. Her meeting Sam helps her to face those problems and solve them. Many witnesses are called to the stand during the trial, in Sam’s defense. I feel they are not taken seriously though, because they also have some form of disability. During the trial Sam finds a new job and moves closer to Lucy and her foster parents. Lucy snuck out many nights and walked to her father’s apartment, until her foster parents put bars on the windows. Sam and Rita develop a strong relationship over the course of the trial and Rita does all she can to get Lucy back. When the trial is over custody of Lucy is awarded to her foster parents and Sam’s heart is broken. 
Mental Retardation Mental retardation is defined as, an individual with limitations in cognitive ability and adaptive behaviors that interfere with learning. Individuals with mental retardation learn at a slower pace, have low IQs, and may reach a level where learning stops. There are no exact causes for mental retardation but some things are associated with the disability. Prenatal development problems, childbirth difficulties, and a childhood brain injury can all lead to mental retardation. An individual with mental retardation might have problems in learning and social skills. Learning problems can include: difficulty making decisions, short attention spans, and limited strategies for dealing…show more content…
Sam raises Lucy with the help of a neighbor and friends. When Lucy reaches the age of seven she begins to realize her father’s disability, something I she never noticed before. This realization begins causing problems with Lucy’s school work because she doesn’t want to be smarter than her dad. At Lucy’s seventh birthday party there is an incident with the children causing the courts to step in and take Lucy away. Sam doesn’t want to lose Lucy. Sam finds an attorney, Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer). At first Rita wants nothing to do with the case, until she is given a guilt trip by every one. Rita takes the case and even decides to do it for free. Rita her-self has problems through out the movie with her family. Her meeting Sam helps her to face those problems and solve them. Many witnesses are called to the stand during the trial, in Sam’s defense. I feel they are not taken seriously though, because they also have some form of disability. During the trial Sam finds a new job and moves closer to Lucy and her foster parents. Lucy snuck out many nights and walked to her father’s apartment, until her foster parents put bars on the windows. Sam and Rita develop a strong relationship over the course of the trial and Rita does all she can to get Lucy back. When the trial is over custody of Lucy is awarded to her foster parents and Sam’s heart is broken.  Causes of Mental Retardation Essay.