What is a Mental Disability?

Mental disability, or "mental retardation” as it is more commonly known in society, is a developmental disorder that is difficult to define and is nowadays also referred to as intellectual disability, learning disability, and developmental retardation.

Delays in the following may indicate intellectual disability, especially when compared to their peers:

●    Crawling, walking, potty training,
●    Communication and language skills,
●    Ability to perform personal care,
●    Ability to establish healthy relationships and interactions with individuals in the family and other people in the environment,
●    Ability to comprehend what is taught at school and home and to obey the commands,
●    Paying attention to something and being able to protect it.
 

What are the Causes of Mental Disability?

Although the prevalence of intellectual disability in society is about 1-2 percent, it is twice as common in boys as in girls. Although studies showing that genetic predisposition is effective are common, mental disability can also be caused by various genetic syndromes, medical problems during pregnancy, complications during and after childbirth, and severe diseases during childhood. Individuals with intellectual disabilities indicate the age of intelligence in their behavior, not the age of birth. In other words, although these individuals go through the same developmental stages as normal developing children, they go through these stages at a slower rate and may fall behind their peers in certain areas. The behaviors of these individuals are similar to those of the same intelligence age rather than their chronological peers.

How to Diagnose Mental Disability?

The personal measurement of this concept, which we can define as the cognitive ability or the ability to solve the problems encountered and act in accordance with the purpose, is carried out with certain intelligence tests. According to the literature, if the score obtained from the IQ test is 70 or less, it can be suspected that the intelligence of the individual shows a different development than their peers. In general, according to this IQ score, it is evaluated as mild to moderate and severe. However, this does not mean that the IQ score is decisive. Since intelligence is a concept with different types (verbal, numerical, musical, physical, etc.), in which areas the individual is lagging behind their peers, in which areas they are skillful and compatible should be determined through one-on-one interviews and a special evaluation and treatment process should be applied.