INTELLIGENCE

MENTAL RETARDATION
HOW TO MEASURE INTELLIGENCE?

• The first attempt to measure intelligence was made by a French psychologist, Alfred
Binet.
• Concept of Mental Age (M.A)
• Concept of Chronological Age (C.A)
• Based on the principle of normal distribution of intelligence.
 IQ (INTELLIGENT QUOTIENT)

• Devised by William Stern.

• The formula to calculate IQ is:

IQ= (MA/CA)*100
CONSTANCY OF IQ

• Intelligence goes on increasing.

• IQ provides a ratio.
CLASSIFICATION OF IQ/ LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE

According to Weschler (WAIS), the classification can be followed as:-

IQ Classification/ Category % of total population

Above 130 Very Superior 2.2

120-129 Superior 6.7

110-119 Bright Normal 16.1

90-109 Average 50

80-89 Dull Normal 16.1

70-79 Border Line 6.7

Below 70 Mentally Retarded 2.4

• According to Terman Meril, IQ classification can be represented as:-

IQ Category

Below 70 Mentally Defective

70-75 Border Line/ Feeble Minded

75-90 Dull and Backward

90-95 Low Average

95-105 Average

105-125 Superior

125-140 Very Superior

140 and above Genius

• Another IQ classification based on the Indian theory of Intelligence.

IQ Category

0-25 Idiots

25-50 Incredible

50-75 Morons/ Feeble mind

75-90 Borderline/ Dull

90-110 Average

110-125 Superior

125-140 Very Superior

140 and above Genius

MENTAL RETARDATION
• “Mental retardation refers to significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning resulting in or associated
with concurrent impairments in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period.”

• Significant subaverage.
• General Intellectual functioning.
• Adaptive behaviour.
Developmental stages:
During infancy and childhood
• Sensory and motor skill development
• Communication and skills (including speech and language)
• Self-help skills
• Socialization

During childhood and adolescence

• Application of basic academic skills to daily life activities
• Application of appropriate reasoning and judgment in the mastery of the environment.
• Social skills.

During Late Adolescence

• Vocational and social responsibilities and performances
EPIDEMIOLOGY

• About 3% of the world population is estimated to be mentally retarded.

• In India, 5 out of 1000 children are mentally retarded.
• Mental retardation is more common in boys than girls.
• With severe and profound mental retardation mortality is high due to associated physical
disease.
ETIOLOGY
Genetic factors: Cranial Malfunctioning.
• Hydrocephaly
Chromosomal Abnormalities.
• Microcephaly
• Downs’s syndrome
Gross disease of brain.
• Fragile X syndrome
• Tuberous Scleroses
• Trisomy X syndrome • Neurofibromatosis
• Epilepsy
• Turner’s syndrome
Metabolic disorders.
• Phenylketonuria
• Wilson’s disease
• Galactosemia
Prenatal Factors • Intoxication
 Lead and certain drug
• Infection
 Substantial abuse
 Rubella
• Placental dysfunction
 Cytomegalovirus
 Toxemia of pregnancy
 Syphilis  Placenta previa
 Toxoplasmosis, herpes, simplex
 Cord prolapse
 Nutrition growth retardation
• Endocrine disorders
 Hyperthyroidism

 Hypoparathyroidism
 Diabetes mellites
• Physical damage and disorders
 Injury
 Hypoxia

 Radiation
 Hypertension
 Anaemia
 Emphysema
• Perinatal Factors
 Birth asphyxia
• Environmental & Social-cultural Factors
 Prolonged or difficult birth
 Cultural deprivation
 Prematurity (due to complications)  Low socio-economic status
 Kernicterus  Inadequate caretakers
 Instrumental delivery (resulting in head injury,  Child abuse
intraventricular hemorrage)

• Postnatal Factors
 Infections
 Encephalitis
 Measles
 Meningitis
 Septicemia
 Accidents
 Lead poisoning
CLASSIFICATION
• Mild retardation (IQ 55-69):
This is the commonest type of mental retardation accounting for 85-90% of all cases. These individuals have
minimum retardation in sensory-motor areas.
• Moderate Retardation (IQ 40-54)
About 10% of mentally retarded come under this group.
• Severe retardation (IQ 25-39)
Severe mental retardation is often recognized early in life with poor motor development and absent or markedly
delayed speech and communication skills.
• Profound retardation (IQ below 25)
This group accounts for 1-2% of all mentally retarded. The achievement of developmental milestones is
markedly delayed. They require constant nursing care and supervision.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• Failure to achieve developmental milestones.
• Deficiency in cognitive functioning .
• Failure to achieve intellectual developmental markers.
• Reduced ability to learn or to meet academic demands.
• Psychomotor skills deficit.
• Difficulty performing self-esteem
• Irritability when frustrated or upset
• Depression or labile moods
• Acting-out behavior.
• Persistence of infantile behaviour.
Diagnosis
• History collection from parents and caretakers
• Physical examination
• Neurological examination
• Assessing milestones development
• Investigations
 Urine and blood examination for metabolic disorders
 Culture for cytogenic and biochemical studies
 Amniocentesis in infant chromosomal disorders
 Chorionic villi sampling
 Hearing and speech evaluation