Mental
Retardation / Development Delay is characterized by a significantly
below-average score on a test which scores mental ability or intelligence.
It is also characterized by limitations in the ability to communicate
and function normally. In mentally disabled individuals intelligence
is significantly below average, and personal care and social behaviours
do not meet what is expected for the person’s age and culture.
It occurs during the developmental phase of life and is classified
as one of
the many
developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are significant,
chronic disabilities – mental and/or physical-occurring
before the age of 22. Examples include: mental retardation, deafness,
cerebral palsy, blindness, autism, epilepsy, mental illness, and
various birth defects. There are several hundred causes related
to MR/DD.
