How to Care for a Mentally Retarded Child

Mental retardation is a limitation of a person's intellectual and physical abilities and varies from severe to mild. Conceptual skills like language, social skills like interaction with others and practical skills like self care are lacking in people classified as mentally retarded. Children labeled as such need special care to overcome social, intellectual and physical disabilities.

Instructions

1. Assess to what degree your child is mentally retarded. Ask your pediatrician to refer you to a professional who can test your child's IQ and age expectations to see if he is mildly or severely retarded.

2. Equip yourself with knowledge on mental retardation. Find out the causes, degrees of retardation and how to cope with and manage the diagnosis.

3. Contact Early Intervention in your community. This group offers various services that are specialized for individual needs.

4. Work closely with your school system. A mentally retarded child needs a curriculum tailored to his needs.

5. Seek out support groups in your community or online. Share stories and tips with other caregivers as a way to cope and learn new strategies.

Tips & Warnings

• If your mentally retarded child has a language development disability, try using sign language to communicate.

• Involve your mentally challenged child in extracurricular activities to foster social interaction with peers.

Resources

• The University of Alabama at Birmingham website discusses the background and study of mental retardation.
• The Arc offers support and information for those who care for the mentally retarded.
• The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities contains a wealth of information about mental retardation and disabilities.