WORLD OF THE WRONG SIZE

By Hilary F. Schmittzehe

 

  

Some of us are tall, and some of us in-between, some have long hair – others none at all. We differ in shape and personality and in potential and ability. Yet the world in which we live is flexible enough so that most of us fit within the boundaries of "normal" – when we can do the things other people can do – When we can function at a level comparable to others, our problems are minimized. We master a skill or understand a new idea and we take accomplishments for granted. But for some people the world is too big – to fast – too complicated. It is the wrong size world for those who cannot go beyond certain levels of performance. The world of the handicapped – whether from birth or acquired later – is the wrong size.  For the mentally retarded, our world can be the wrong size. Can you Imagine what it would be like if you were as old as you are today and you found a child’s game difficult to play? What if many of the things you tried to  learn were too hard and you still didn’t know how to read or write or to feed yourself or to get dressed. What if your ability to learn – to adapt and to compete were so limited, that the world wasn’t your size at all.

Retardation means slowness in progress or development. The mentally retarded person  has continual difficulty in learning. He has trouble in applying what he does learn in  everyday life. His mental handicap may be so slight that he may merely be considered "slow", or his handicap may be so severe that his mind barely develops. In addition, the retarded individual may have various physical handicaps including blindness, deaf-ness  and poor motor coordination which complicated his condition.

Mental Retardation is incomplete or impaired mental development. It results in a less than  normal capacity to learn or adapt and is usually a lifelong condition. Mental illness is the abnormal function of the mind. When feelings and thoughts become disturbed and  twisted and irrational unrealistic behavior follows. Mental illness can be treated and often  cured. It is possible that a mentally retarded person can also be mentally ill.

Many people think that all mentally retarded people are the same. This is not the case.   Persons who are mentally retarded differ from each other as do you and I or the person sitting next to you. There are many kinds and different degrees of mental retardation. Each retarded person is an individual who has his own needs and his own potential.

For example consider a retarded man 35 years old with the learning ability of a 10 year old. In previous years he may have spent much of his time sitting at home watching television because there was nothing much for him to do. Today he can be employed in a  sheltered workshop like VIP Industries. Now this man has a job doing simple work and is proud of his accomplishments.

Consider a mentally retarded girl of 8 years old. She had trouble performing even ordinary tasks such as buttoning her clothes or tying her shoes laces, but she can learn things with  specialized training.

Consider a happy 5 years old mentally retarded boy who loves to play, who still needs help with eating and walking and speaks only a few words.  He will need special help all his life from his family and community.

Consider a 3 year old who has not developed as other 3 year olds and he never will because his mental and physical problems are so severe that he will need constant care for the rest of his life.

These are only a few of the examples of the 61/2 million mentally retarded children and adults in the United States. Each is an individual with his own personality and his own possibilities and limitations depending on the mildness or severity of his retardation.  Generally, we measure mental retardation by the person’s ability to learn and to apply what he learns to every day life. If you were mildly retarded your condition might not be easily noticed.   You would have a mental age from 8 years to just under normal. While you couldn’t keep up with regular classes in school you could learn to read or write and learn simple  arithmetic. You could develop social and job skills to become self-sufficient. The great  majority of mentally retarded persons are mildly handicapped like this.  If you were moderately retarded, you could learn basic habits and skills – you could learn to speak in simple sentences and to write simple words. Your mental age would probably range from 3-8 years and under supervised conditions could be trained to do simple work.

If you were severely retarded, you would have less intelligence than a 3 year old. You  might be able to say a few words. You could probably be able to feed yourself, and  follow a daily routine – but you would need continued protection.

If you were profoundly retarded, you would probably not be able to walk or talk or learn many other skills – yet you would have feelings – you would respond to others. Only a very small percentage of all retarded individuals have a handicap this severe.

Mental retardation can occur in any family regardless of its social, racial or intellectual background. It can be found in the poor home or the rich home – (Ferguson) – in the city or on the farm.  At one time mental retardation was thought to be inherited – now we  know there are many causes. Mental Retardation may result from an injury, an illness, a genetic defect or from unfavorable emotional, cultural or health factors – or from perhaps over a hundred causes not yet known.

Some causes of mental retardation occur because an individual may receive little or no stimulus – he does not have the opportunity to learn. His daily environment is so deprived that he does not receive the intellectual stimulus he needs. Unfavorable health factors are  other causative features in mental retardation. These might include inadequate prenatal care and postnatal care and poor nutrition during the child’s formative years.  Many children who are retarded because of emotional problems can be helped by psychiatric care - Those children who are economically deprived need learning opportunities. If they are given stimulus and their environment enriched, they may be able to catch up.  But for other retarded children and adults, there is no way to replace brain cells that have been injured or destroyed. For these persons, the best answers we have for today is training: to allow them to use all the mental capabilities they do have. In the past, we have focused on the limitations of the retarded – now we must focus on his possibilities. He does not want pity because of his limitations; he only wants and needs the change to make the most of his abilities. His needs and wants are similar to yours and mine – Not different. Love and acceptance to the retarded child is as important to him as to any other child. Like all children, he needs help in growing up – only he needs MORE help and he needs it  LONGER.  Most retarded children can benefit from school programs geared to their special needs. Basic school subjects: Homemaking, industrial arts, crafts and social and recreational skills can be learned. The increasing number of special education classes in our school give the retarded child a chance to learn at his own speed.  For persons with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities our area has many programs to help them adjust the world to their size.  Many advances have been made this last decade in the area of education, vocational rehabilitation, mental health, work opportunities and accessibility to public buildings. shopping areas, et cetera.