Contents
The development of a mentally retarded child: his cognitive mental characteristics
The development of a mentally retarded child should be aimed at improving his safe functions. Depending on the degree of damage, such a baby can be adapted to life in society. Developmental delay is not always associated with mental retardation.
Features of lagging children
It is necessary to distinguish between babies with developmental delay and mentally retarded babies. The former have intact brains, but have not received the attention they deserve. Corrective schools will help them catch up with their peers.
The development of a mentally retarded child helps to adapt to society
The special child is limited in his development. Depending on the degree of brain damage, the baby’s development stops at a fixed level:
- 80% of children diagnosed with mental retardation reach the level of 12 years in their development. They have a large vocabulary, they can do simple work and adapt in society.
- 15% of children with this diagnosis stop at 9 years old. They are unable to live outside the family. Vocabulary is small and is aimed only at basic needs.
- 5% of babies do not even reach 3 years of age in their development. As a rule, they live in boarding schools. Some parents leave them at home. The speech of babies is undeveloped, but they can make inarticulate sounds, they learn to walk by the age of 10.
Despite such a sad situation, even children with severe brain damage are capable of development from an early age.
Cognitive abilities of mentally retarded children
Special children do not like to play, they are not curious, and their interests are limited to pressing needs.
Emotional immaturity of the child generates outbursts of anger, which makes it difficult to work with him. He does not have access to complex manifestations of emotions that depend on the receipt or non-receipt of a particular pleasure.
Correction of mental processes of special children
Each child needs to be tested to identify those intact structures on which to rely on in the future. Not only teachers and corrective psychologists, but also doctors are involved in working with special children. The task of employees is to instill in children the necessary skills for adaptation in society. In addition to educational and developmental activities, it is necessary to carry out drug treatment, including vitamins and mineral complexes. People of any age with this diagnosis need to be accompanied.
Special children need serious adjustments based on safe functions. The task is to develop new skills in the child that compensate for the lost opportunities.