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Mental retardation - Symptom

Alternative Names

Intellectual and developmental disability

Symptoms:

Continued infant-like behavior
Decreased learning ability
Failure to meet the markers of intellectual development
Inability to meet educational demands at school
Lack of curiosity

Note: Changes to normal behaviors depend on the severity of the condition. Mild retardation may be associated with a lack of curiosity and quiet behavior. Severe mental retardation is associated with infant-like behavior throughout life.

Signs and tests:

An assessment of age-appropriate adaptive behaviors can be made using developmental screening tests. The failure to achieve developmental milestones suggests mental retardation.

The following may be signs of mental retardation:

Abnormal Denver developmental screening test
Adaptive behavior score below average
Development way below that of peers
Intelligence quotient (IQ) score below 70 on a standardized IQ test

Reviewed last on: 5/1/2011
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Shapiro BK, Batshaw ML. Mental retardation (intellectual disability). In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 38.

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