Mental Retardation: Definition, Levels,

Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

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 Quiz
 Transcript

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POW ERED BY W ISTIA

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Taught by

Natalie Boyd

Natalie is a teacher and holds an MA in English Education and is in progress on her PhD in
psychology.
People with intellectual disabilities have low IQs and problems with daily functioning. In this
lesson, we'll examine the levels of intellectual disabilities as well as the causes and treatments of
them.

Intellectual Disability
Ethan is worried because his son Van isn't like other kids. Van doesn't understand many things
and can't really talk very well. He's fourteen, but he seems to have the same intellectual capacity
of a seven or eight year old. Van might be suffering from an intellectual disability, which used
to be called mental retardation.

This is a psychological developmental disorder that is marked by a very low IQ and problems
with everyday functioning like communication or taking care of oneself. It is almost always
diagnosed before age 18.

Levels
Imagine that you are a psychologist and Ethan brings Van to see you. Van is a nice, well-
behaved young man and he seems to be relatively happy. So, why does he need to see a
psychologist?

Because intellectual disabilities fall under the category of lifespan development disorders, they
are covered by the field of psychology. Remember that one of the criteria of intellectual
disabilities is a low IQ. IQ is a measure of intellectual ability based on an intelligence test that is
administered by a psychologist, another reason why Ethan has brought Van to see you.

The first step in diagnosing Van is to give him an intelligence test. The average IQ is 100, and to
have some sort of intellectual disability, Van must score below 70. When you test him, he scores
a 59, so he has an intellectual disability. But, there are different levels of disability, so now you
must figure out which one Van has.

Mild intellectual disability involves having an IQ between 50 and 69. Usually, people with mild
intellectual disabilities take longer to speak and understand, but they can communicate. They can
often also take care of themselves. Moderate intellectual disability is diagnosed in patients with
an IQ between 35 and 49. These patients usually have trouble communicating and can do some
things on their own but are probably not self-sufficient enough to live alone even as an adult.

People with severe intellectual disability have an IQ between 20 and 34. They often have motor
difficulties, as well as problems communicating, learning and taking care of themselves. Finally,
profound intellectual disability involves having an IQ under 20. People with profound
intellectual disabilities are often immobile and cannot take care of themselves. They are not able
to communicate. Based on the criteria above, you can diagnose Van with mild intellectual
disability.

Causes and Treatment

Ethan is concerned that perhaps it's his fault that Van has an intellectual disability. He's a busy
single father, and thinks that maybe he didn't read to Van enough when he was a child or perhaps
he didn't give him enough attention. You can reassure Ethan that neither of those things can
cause intellectual disabilities. Sometimes, there's no way to know why a person has an
intellectual disability, but there are some causes that we know about.

1. Genetics. There are some genes and genetic mutations that can cause intellectual disabilities,
such as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome.

2. Trauma before or during birth. Not having enough oxygen, exposure to high levels of alcohol
or infections in vitro can all cause intellectual disability.

3. Lead or mercury poisoning. This is especially common for babies and toddlers who ingest
lead-based paint in old buildings.

4. Severe malnutrition. A lack of proper nutrition in infancy and early childhood can slow or
prevent brain development, which can lead to intellectual disabilities.

Continue reading...
Chapters in Psychology 106: Abnormal Psychology


o 1. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology (11 lessons)
o 2. Introduction to Research Methods (10 lessons)
o 3. Clinical Research of Abnormal Psychology (8 lessons)
o 4. The Biological Model of Abnormality (11 lessons)
o 5. The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormal Behavior (10 lessons)
o 6. The Behavioral/Learning Model of Abnormal Behavior (12 lessons)
o 7. The Cognitive Model of Abnormal Behavior (14 lessons)
o 8. The Humanistic-Existential Model of Abnormal Behavior (7 lessons)
o 9. The Sociocultural Model of Abnormal Behavior (8 lessons)
o 10. The Diathesis-Stress Model (4 lessons)
o 11. Clinical Assessment in Abnormal Psychology (8 lessons)
o 12. Introduction to Anxiety Disorders (6 lessons)
o 13. Mood Disorders of Abnormal Psychology (5 lessons)

o 14. Stress Disorders (8 lessons)
o 15. Somatoform Disorders in Abnormal Psychology (7 lessons)
o 16. Dissociative Disorders in Psychology (5 lessons)
o 17. Eating Disorders in Abnormal Psychology (5 lessons)
o 18. Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders (12 lessons)
o 19. Substance Use Disorders (7 lessons)
o 20. Psychotic Disorders (11 lessons)
o 21. Cognitive Disorders (7 lessons)
o 22. Lifespan Development Disorders (9 lessons)
o 23. Personality Disorders in Abnormal Psychology (6 lessons)
 o 24. Factitious Disorders (3 lessons)
o 25. Treatment in Abnormal Psychology (8 lessons)
o 26. Legal and Ethical Issues in Abnormal Psychology (4 lessons)
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