Mental Retardation

For a person to be diagnosed as mentally retarded they must have both significantly low intelligence and severe problems adapting to everyday life skills. Children with mental retardation learn slower than other children. They may take longer to learn basic skills such as speaking, walking, or even eating and dressing. Children with mental retardation CAN learn. They just learn much more slowly than other children. As adults, most people with mental retardation lead productive lives, though they need support.