What Are the Signs of Mental Retardation?

There are many signs of mental retardation. For example, children with mental retardation may:

• Sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children;
• Learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking;
• Find it hard to remember things;
• Does not understand how to pay for things;
• Have trouble understanding social rules;
• Have trouble seeing the consequences of their actions;
• Have trouble solving problems; and/or
• Have trouble thinking logically.

Most children with mental retardation learn only a little slower than other kids. Learning new information and skills is a little more challenging. When they are children, their limitations may not be obvious. They may not even be diagnosed until they get to school. As they become adults, many people with mild retardation can live on their own. Other people may not even know they have mental retardation.

However about 13% of kids with mental retardation have a lot of difficulty learning. They score below 50 on IQ tests. These people will have more difficulty in school, at home, and in the community. A person with severe retardation needs more intensive support his or her entire life. Every child with mental retardation can learn, develop, and grow. With help, all children with mental retardation can live a satisfying life.

Borrowed from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, Mental Retardation Fact Sheet (FS8). Accessed on 11/12/04, http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs8txt.htm#parents.