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Autism and Mental Retardation

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Autism and Mental Retardation

Respond to the following:
1. List the primary features of autism.
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder. It influences a person's ability to communicate and how they interact and socialize with others. Those with mild forms of autism can be high-functioning and can live on their own, while others with severe cases may remain non-verbal and function on a very limited basis.

2. Which explanation for autism is no longer considered valid and lacks research support?
Thimerisal in children’s vaccines does not cause autism.
3. What forms of treatment are helpful for a person with autism?
Special education class’s area available for autistic children, structured-behaviorally based programs that are geared toward the patient’s developmental level, parental education on behavioral techniques, and therapy for both parents and the autistic child.
4. List the criteria for a diagnosis of mental retardation:
Thorough neurologic and psychiatric evaluation is necessary for diagnosis of a mental retardation.
5. Explain one way in which sociocultural biases in testing might pose problems for assessing mental retardation.
All cultures do not develop their children at the same speed and level as other. So when a patient from an under developing sociocultural is being tested the diagnoses may reflect mental retardation, when it is not the case at all.
6. Of the four levels of mental retardation, into which category do most people with mental retardation fall?
Level 1: Mild Mental Retardation 85%
7. What are the main types of biological causes of mental retardation?

Mental retardation can be caused by any condition which impairs the development of the brain before birth, during birth, or in early childhood years.
The three major known causes of mental retardation are Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and fragile X.
8. What is the only way to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome?
The only way to fetal alcohol syndrome is to not drink alcohol during pregnancy.
9. What are normalization and mainstreaming?
Normalization is the process of making any process more normal, like conforming to the rules or the regularity of the environment. Mainstreaming is the process of educating students with special needs in regular classroom setting according to their specific needs.
10. What is your opinion about mainstreaming and normalization for children and adults with autism or mental retardation?
Mainstreaming is a very effective tool to include children, especially children with special needs into a regular learning environment. This promotes inclusion and helps children feel like they are a part of the normal culture instead of being separated because of their differences.

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