Mental retardation (PDD). Mental retardation (PDD) - causes, signs, treatment in Israel Mental retardation of a child

Every kid is different. It is difficult to disagree with this well-known statement. In fact, the mental and physical development of each baby can proceed in different ways. However, when the process of the formation and development of the crumb does not materially meet the established standards, this can be of concern to parents. In such cases, some parents decide to seek help from a specialist.

With careful and detailed examination, the child can be diagnosed with mental retardation. What is meant by this diagnosis and what are its main features?

What is zpr?

Delayed mental development is a visible lag in the development of a small person. In other words, non-compliance with certain, generally accepted norms. Mental retardation is observed in children of school and preschool age. There are ways to help correct and to some extent bring the mental development of the child back to normal. We will talk about them a little later.... Now let's take a look at the main causes of SD in children.

Why can mental retardation occur?

To date, there are several known main causes that contribute to the onset of SIP in children of school and preschool age. Conventionally, these reasons are divided into two groups: biological and social.

First, we find out the biological factors the appearance of developmental delay. So, these factors are:

The first group of reasons is closely related to the intrauterine development of the child, when health problems appear even during the formation of a small person.

For the social reasons for the appearance of children with ailments:

Most of the social causes of developmental problems in children with SPD are related to the educational process. Mental well-being is also influenced by the child's relationship with the parents. If the pedagogical influence turns out to be without taking into account the individual characteristics of the child's development, this increases the risk of the onset and further development of such a pathology as mental retardation. In some cases, mental retardation is simultaneously caused by two factors, both biological and social. It is important to note that the social under these circumstances has an additional negative impact. It contributes to the further development of biological disorders, which, of course, should be actively combated.

To fight ZPR correctly, it is necessary to determine the main symptoms of pathology. Therefore, further we will focus on the main symptoms of mental retardation in children.

Mental retardation in children: symptoms

Next, we will discuss what symptoms occur in children with SPD. Specialists identify several main symptoms that indicate the presence of a child's brain malfunction. All of them, one way or another affect the action of mental functions:

Determining the presence of this pathology will help not only the symptoms, but also the knowledge of the types of zpr. In total, there are four main types of mental retardation. Let's pay close attention to each existing species.

CRA with cerebral-organic genesis... The first type of mental disorders is associated with damage to the vital functions of the central nervous system of the body. During such a lesion, some of the functions of the body are partially disrupted. The defeat itself is organic. At the same time, such a delay in mental development does not contribute to the appearance of mental disability. Here are the main symptoms of ZPR with cerebral-organic genesis:

Delayed formation of thinking.
Delayed maturation of the emotional-volitional level.
Problems with cognitive activity are pronounced.

CRA with constitutional genesis... The next type is hereditary (hereditary infantilism). At the same time, various functions of the child's body are affected, namely psychological, physical and mental. The volitional sphere of development in this case corresponds to the level of development of a preschool child. Although the biological age of a child may be an order of magnitude higher. Children with this type of mental retardation have increased emotional behavior. Being in a good mood, the child easily succumbs to experiences. But all experiences are superficial and rather unstable.

Mental retardation with psychogenic genesis.

This type, in contrast to the previous ones, is more social in nature. The development of psychogenic genesis is facilitated by constant stress, as well as depressing and traumatic situations for the child's psyche. Initially, the vegetative functions suffer, and then the pathology has a negative impact on the emotional and mental development of the child. Children with similar problems completely dependent on the external environment and its position.

Delayed mental development with somatogenic genesis. But this type of Zpr occurs for a biological reason. Such reasons are infectious diseases and somatic pathologies. Often, developmental problems are caused by diseases of the baby's mother. The main symptoms or features of this type of ZPR are considered:

Both a decrease in mental tone and the appearance of fears negatively affect the baby's relationship with the people around him and the world in general.

Prevention and Treatment of Zpr

It is imperative to fight with mental retardation. Often, such a diagnosis is made for preschool children (at about 5-6 years old). In some cases, zpr occurs already in the process of schooling. When such problems arise, you should determine the use of methods of struggle as soon as possible. Usually, a number of pedagogical and psychological procedures are carried out to help cope with mental retardation. All procedures must be carried out in a timely manner (it is important not to miss the moment) and, just as important, competently.

Where can I get this help?

In most cases, work with these children is carried out in special sanatoriums and institutions. The treatment is carried out simultaneously by several experienced professionals. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a speech therapist, psychologist and psychiatrist. In order for the treatment to bring the desired result, specialists must, together with their parents, become a single team, each member of which makes the maximum contribution to the speedy achievement of the set goal. The goal of the treatment and help of doctors is to help the preschool child adapt to the world around him and learn to get along with people.

What stages will such a rehabilitation consist of? There are two main stages in the treatment of mental retardation in school and preschool children:

Curative therapy

First of all, medical procedures are carried out... Such procedures often include:

Correctional and pedagogical assistance... It consists in activities aimed at correcting the development process. The main factor that determines the methods of rehabilitation is the age and other individual characteristics of the baby. At the moment, there are several ways to eliminate mental retardation. Let's pay attention to them:

Wellness technique... This technique allows you to improve and support the physical and psychological processes of the formation of a baby at a certain age stage. The wellness technique includes the simultaneous execution of several important tasks, namely:

Sensory - motor sphere. This technique is more often used when working with school-age children who have deviations in sensory processes, and also have problems with the musculoskeletal system. The main goal of this treatment is the formation of the sensory-motor sphere. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to identify and gradually develop the creative abilities of children with mental retardation.

Working with emotional awareness. The main objective is to increase the emotional awareness of a child with similar mental disabilities. By increasing the baby's awareness, specialists help him to perceive and understand the feelings of the people around him (including his peers). Children are taught to respond correctly to extraneous emotions, and they are also helped to learn how to independently control their own feelings. It is customary to use this technique for different degrees and types of mental retardation.

Correction-compensatory method. This type of treatment can simultaneously include several neuropsychological techniques. The neuropsychological techniques used make it possible to align and successfully hone such vital skills as the ability to write, read and perform arithmetic operations. Without these skills, the student, as you know, it is difficult to learn the school curriculum. In addition, these techniques improve the cognitive skills of children with mental retardation. Corrective-compensatory work allows a child to develop such a necessary quality as purposefulness.

Work with the cognitive activity of the child. To date, the most effective in this type of treatment is considered the system of psychological influence, which is combined with pedagogical assistance. ... The purpose of the discussed technique- to align and eliminate the existing defects of mental processes.

Each technique is used with the individual characteristics of the child's development. Not only specialists, but also the parents themselves should take an active part in the treatment. Only in this case can you achieve the highest possible results. If a child of school age is receiving treatment, then after all the procedures, the methodological-psychological-pedagogical council must decide whether the child can after the received treatment study in a regular general education school or the child will be better off getting an education at home or in a special institution.

Each child is unique and unrepeatable. However, there is a time frame according to which he must develop physically, mentally and psychologically. Parents from birth should carefully monitor what skills the baby is mastering. After all, it is very important to timely identify the signs of mental retardation (delayed psycho-speech development). In this article, we will consider a question that worries some parents and specialists: how to determine the CRA in a child, what symptoms and signs are characteristic of this disorder.

Diagnosis of CRD in a child - what is it?

Parents should be aware that a child's diagnosis of CRD is not always a verdict. However, this violation requires a special approach to education and training. A child with this diagnosis has a serious mental retardation. The level of thinking, memory, attention does not correspond to the age. Violations are characteristic of the emotional-volitional sphere. In this case, not only the correctional work of teachers is important, but also support from the parents. And in many cases also treatment with appropriate medications. The sooner such work begins with a child, the more chances he has for a normal life.

Symptoms and signs of CRD in a child

The first symptoms and signs of mental retardation (mental retardation) in a child can be noticed by parents who closely monitor the development of their baby. It is necessary to write down when the daughter or son began to roll over, sit, get up, walk, babble, talk. It is necessary to pay attention to how the baby shows interest in the world around him. At home, special tests can be done to identify CRD.

Often, CRA in children is found at the age of 5-7 years. At an earlier age, the diagnosis is made with very clear signs.

So, let's list the symptoms and signs of CRD in a child:

emotions dominate obedience
hyperactivity
shyness, shyness, lack of initiative
poor concentration of attention on mental activity
poor perception of information by ear, predominance of visual perception
lack of a holistic picture when memorizing information, the child cannot draw conclusions
small amount of knowledge in comparison with peers
limited vocabulary, difficulty in constructing sentences
distortion of sounds during pronunciation
hearing impairment
lack of desire to take part in collective activities
lack of desire to follow the example of an adult

The causes of CRD in children can be very different. They can be conditionally divided into 2 groups - biological and social.

Among the biological reasons:

Unfavorable course of pregnancy: severe toxicosis, intrauterine infections, treatment with potent drugs, fetal hypoxia, Rh-conflict, bad habits of the mother.
Perinatal encephalopathy (brain damage) due to intracranial birth trauma (forceps, caesarean section, stimulation), asphyxia, prematurity, neonatal jaundice, etc.
Severe somatic diseases at an early stage of a child's life: influenza, rickets, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus, endocrine disorders, etc.
Hereditary predisposition.

Among the social reasons:

incomplete, dysfunctional family, absence of parents
frequent psychological trauma in a child's life
authoritarian parenting
overprotective
lack of communication with peers and adults

It is worth noting that biological causes are the fundamental principle of CRD in children. And the presence of unfavorable social factors aggravates the problem.

The child was diagnosed with CRD. What to do?

Of course, if a child has been diagnosed with CRD, parents may have a lot of questions. Many adults do not know what to do: how to communicate with the child now, how it will affect his fate. We hope that our advice will help you in such a difficult situation.

First tip for parents of children with CRD, do not expect the diagnosis to go away on its own. This is not a mild runny nose, but a dysfunction of the brain.

Secondly, for an accurate diagnosis, contact specialists who have been working with intellectual disabilities for a long time. In an ordinary clinic, as a rule, there are no such specialists. After all, there is a risk of confusing the child's laziness, unwillingness to engage in boring activities, with his great mismatch in development.

Thirdly, with a confirmed diagnosis of CRD, accept that your child needs regular help from qualified teachers, a psychologist and, most likely, drug treatment. If the kid is of preschool age, then he needs to attend the correctional group of the kindergarten. If a child of primary school age is diagnosed, then it will be better for him to study in a special correctional class or special school.

Fourth, the good news is that with the competent work of specialists and help from the parents, the DPR is a reversible diagnosis, the child can get rid of it forever. The only condition is the early start of correctional work.

Fifth, if the parents of children with mental retardation refuse to admit the problem, or come too late to see specialists, then such children will forever remain inferior.

And the last tip parents of children with CRD - please note that with this diagnosis, the child can have a fulfilling life. He has chances for good school performance and admission to a university. This requires a set of measures: early diagnosis and correctional work, a favorable environment in the family, support from the parents and relatives of the child.

It is necessary to praise your child for the slightest achievements, to have a positive attitude. Perhaps, to reconsider the approach to education, family relationships. Then, in adulthood, your child will be a completely normal and mentally healthy person.

Mental retardation is a condition in which patients experience an emotional and psychological disorder. In patients with CRD, thinking processes are inhibited, memory and attention skills are impaired.

What causes CRA - reasons

In about 75% of cases, the exact cause of the disease is unknown. It can only be assumed that the matter is in defects in genes (or chromosomes), injuries or conditions that develop in the fetus in the womb, diseases of an early age and the influence of the environment.

The role of genetics

If one or both parents have mental retardation, it is much more likely that their children will have the condition as well. There are many genetic (inherited) causes of CRD that arise from deficiencies or omissions in the genetic material passed from parent to child.
Sometimes, mental retardation is caused by abnormalities in chromosomes rather than individual genes. Down syndrome, one of the most common causes of mental retardation, is caused by an extra chromosome in cells. Another fairly common chromosomal defect, called fragile X syndrome, causes CRD mainly in boys.

* Genes are chemicals in the body that help determine a person's characteristics, such as hair or eye color, and are inherited from their parents. They are located on chromosomes found in the cells of the body.
* Chromosomes (KRO-mo-somes) are threadlike structures within the nucleus of cells on which genes are located.

Problems during pregnancy

Infections in pregnant women, such as rubella or toxoplasmosis, also cause mental retardation in children. Despite the fact that the mother may not suffer from the infection, the developing fetus becomes infected through the mother's body and it has damage to certain parts of the central nervous system and other organs and systems.
Pregnant women who drink alcohol are at risk of having a mentally retarded child through a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It is a common and preventable cause of CRD.
Certain drugs (such as cocaine or amphetamines) when taken during pregnancy can harm a child's mental development.
Maternal malnutrition and radiation exposure during pregnancy can also cause similar developmental disabilities.

Birth trauma

Oxygen starvation in the fetus during labor is also a cause of CRD. Babies born prematurely tend to be mentally retarded, especially if the baby weighs less than 1.5 kg.

Disorders after birth

REM can be caused by problems such as lead or mercury poisoning, severe malnutrition, accidents that cause severe head injuries, interruption of oxygen supply to the brain (such as near drowning), or diseases such as encephalitis, meningitis, and untreated hypothyroidism in infants.

It is important to understand: before proceeding with the treatment and correction of the child's condition, it is necessary to determine the roots of the problem.

The main types of ZPR

Mental retardation is classified into four main types.

CRA of a constitutional nature

Reasons: genetics.
Symptoms: playful mood regardless of age, unstable attachment, disturbance, frequent mood swings.

CRD of somatogenic nature

Causes: serious illness with complications of the brain. Pathology can be provoked by previous surgical interventions, diseases of the cardiovascular system, dystrophies of various origins and severity, allergic manifestations.
Symptoms: unreasonable whims, increased nervousness, excessive notoriousness.

CRD of psychogenic nature

Reasons: lack of parental attention and love, mistakes in upbringing, unfavorable living conditions.
Symptoms: psychosis, bouts of nervousness, violation of the intellectual sphere, which as a result leads to general psychological immaturity.

CRA of cerebral-organic nature

Causes: intrauterine disorders, which may occur due to the intake of alcoholic, toxic and narcotic substances by a woman during pregnancy. Sometimes the cause of the development of this particular type of pathology can be birth trauma and oxygen starvation of the brain during childbirth.
Symptoms: instability of the mental state.

Symptoms of mental retardation in children at different age intervals

Sometimes signs of disorder can be observed in children immediately after birth, and in some cases, problems begin to appear already at school age and later. It is important to learn to discern the features of your baby in time.

Consider the main alarming symptoms for different age categories of children:

CRD up to a year: late begins to hold the head, crawl, walk, talk, use cutlery.
Signs of DPD in a year - a quiet, unemotional child, with a limited or absent set of simple words, does not show a reaction to appeal to him.
DPR 2 years - there is no desire to learn something new due to repetition after others, a primitive set of words (up to 20), there is no ability to make logical phrases and sentences, limited memory skills.
Symptoms of CRD in children 3 years old - fast unconscious speech with swallowing sounds, syllables or endings of words, when answering a question, he can ponder and repeat the question itself for a long time, movements are slow or hyperactivity is manifested, there is no desire to cognize the world around him, aggressiveness, increased salivation, narrow spectrum emotions, signs of cerebral palsy may appear.
DPR 4 years - tearfulness, aggressiveness, emotional instability, unreasonable laughter or hysteria, underdeveloped speech, ignoring the requests of adults, difficulty in contacting others.
CRA in a 5-year-old preschooler - ignoring peers, aggressiveness or complete passivity, sudden mood swings, speech difficulties, especially in building even a simple dialogue, difficulty with memory, lack of simple everyday skills.
DPD 6 years - behavioral disorders, difficulties in concentrating attention, performing elementary everyday skills, a noticeable lag behind peers in speech, emotional and intellectual development.
CRA in children, symptoms of 7 years old - difficulties with reading, problems with logical tasks and mathematical calculations, lack of emotional contact with peers, stingy speech reserve, difficulty in voicing one's thoughts and requests, problems of a behavioral nature (aggression, tearfulness, whining, withdrawal in oneself , unfounded laughter, etc.).
Features of CRA in adolescents - mental instability, self-esteem is not developed, there is no resistance to criticism, the team tries to avoid, psychomotor disinhibition and excitability, suppressed cognitive activity, limited memory (often short-term), violation of verbal-figurative, visual-figurative and visual-effective thinking , speech disorders, lack of motivation, development of infantilism. A characteristic symptom of psychophysical infantilism is hysterical psychopathy and depressive states.

At an early age, it is problematic to diagnose CRD. The most pronounced symptoms can be observed in preschool age, when the skills of self-care, orientation in space, communication skills, fully developed memory and formed speech should already be formed.
Regardless of the age at which mental retardation was diagnosed, the correction of this condition must be started immediately.

Screening and tests

Diagnosis of CRA can only be performed by a board certified psychologist who is capable of administering, calculating, and interpreting an IQ or Cognition test.
Disease screening includes tests to analyze a child's intellectual and adaptive development, including the abnormal Denver developmental test and IQ testing (these tests are performed on children and adolescents under the age of 18.)

Children with an IQ of less than 70 and a disability in two or more areas of adaptive behavior (for example, motor skills, communication skills, self-help and independent life skills and other daily skills) can generally be considered intellectually disabled.

Complications and consequences

Late diagnosis of children with CRD and correction of this complex mental state can forever be imprinted on the child's life. The adolescence of a full-fledged child passes with difficulties, and for a child with CRD, inferiority complexes may additionally develop, which provoke a number of difficulties in communicating with the opposite sex and with peers.
Low self-esteem leaves a negative imprint on academic performance, aspiration, as a result, there is an increased conflict in the team and family. Neglected situations can lead to irreversible consequences - a severe form of depression and suicide.
CRA can provoke the development of chronic and incurable vices: a variety of mental disorders, impaired writing, speech, everyday skills.
In adulthood, they can be observed, working in a team, creating a family.

Rules for raising a child with DPD

After hearing the diagnosis, each parent, first of all, must emotionally collect and prepare for the difficult struggle for the full future of the child. Indeed, in medical practice, there are quite a few examples when children, after being diagnosed with PDD, studied in ordinary schools and demonstrated, if not high, but average educational success.
The second thing that needs to be understood is that the child does not succeed in something, not because of his laziness, it is just that everything is given to him a little more difficult and slower.
You do not need to independently develop in your baby a sense of inferiority with constant reproaches and swearing. The main task of parents is to support, motivate, help, demonstrate understanding and love.

Can CRD be prevented?

There is no definite way to prevent mental retardation. Better health care, prenatal testing, and public health education are helping to avoid some cases of IDD.
People who want to become parents can get genetic counseling to determine the likelihood of mental retardation from an inherited disorder. Medical tests such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus selection, and ultrasonography can help detect hereditary metabolic and chromosome disorders associated with mental retardation.
Vaccinations can protect pregnant women from infections that harm the fetus.
Screening blood tests for newborns can reveal some birth disorders, allowing earlier treatment. It is also important to protect children from lead poisoning and head injuries.

* Amniocentesis (am-nee-o-sen-TEE-sis) is a test in which a long, thin needle is inserted into the mother's uterus to obtain a sample of amniotic amniotic fluid. Fetal cells in the fluid are examined for genetic defects.
* Chorionic villus sampling (VOR-lus KOR-ee-on-ik sampling) is a test in which a small tube is inserted through the cervix and a small piece of the placenta supporting the fetus is removed for genetic testing.
* Ultrasonography (ul-tra-so-NOG-ra-fee) is a painless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to record and display the shape of the fetus in the mother's uterus.

Living with DPR

There is no cure for mental retardation. Treatment focuses on helping people by building learning, behavioral and self-help skills. For children with mental retardation, the support of parents, specially trained educators and society helps to achieve their maximum abilities and become a full-fledged part of society.

ICD-10 code

F80-F89 Mental development disorder

Impaired mental function(ZPR) is a temporal lag in the development of mental processes and the immaturity of the emotional-volitional sphere in children, which can potentially be overcome with the help of specially organized training and upbringing. Delayed mental development is characterized by an insufficient level of development of motor skills, speech, attention, memory, thinking, regulation and self-regulation of behavior, primitiveness and instability of emotions, poor school performance. Diagnosis of cerebrovascular accidents is carried out collectively by a commission consisting of medical specialists, teachers and psychologists. Children with mental retardation need specially organized correctional and developmental education and medical support.

General information

Mental retardation (PDD) is a reversible violation of the intellectual and emotional-volitional sphere, accompanied by specific learning difficulties. The number of persons with mental retardation reaches 15-16% in the child population. DPD is more of a psychological and pedagogical category, however, it may be based on organic disorders, therefore, this condition is also considered by medical disciplines - primarily pediatrics and pediatric neurology.

Since the development of various mental functions in children is uneven, usually the conclusion "mental retardation" is established for preschool children not earlier than 4-5 years old, but in practice - more often in the process of schooling.

Reasons for DPR

The etiological basis of CRA is made up of biological and socio-psychological factors that lead to a temporal delay in the intellectual and emotional development of the child.

1. Biological factors(non-gross organic damage to the central nervous system of a local nature and their residual phenomena) cause a violation of the maturation of various parts of the brain, which is accompanied by partial disorders of the child's mental development and activity. Among the causes of a biological nature, acting in the perinatal period and causing mental retardation, the most important are:

pathology of pregnancy (severe toxicosis, Rh-conflict, fetal hypoxia, etc.), intrauterine infections, intracranial birth trauma, prematurity, nuclear jaundice of newborns, FAS, etc., leading to the so-called perinatal encephalopathy.
severe somatic diseases of the child (malnutrition, flu, neuroinfections, rickets), craniocerebral trauma, epilepsy and epileptic encephalopathy, etc., arising in the postnatal period and early childhood.
CRD is sometimes hereditary and is diagnosed from generation to generation in some families.

2. Social factors. A delay in mental development can occur under the influence of environmental (social) factors, which, however, does not exclude the presence of an initial organic basis for the disorder. Most often, children with mental retardation grow up in conditions of hypo-care (neglect) or over-care, an authoritarian upbringing, social deprivation, and a lack of communication with peers and adults.

A delay in mental development of a secondary nature can develop with early hearing and vision impairments, speech defects due to a pronounced deficit of sensory information and communication.

Classification

The group of children with mental retardation is heterogeneous. In special psychology, many classifications of mental retardation have been proposed. Let us consider the etiopathogenetic classification proposed by K. S. Lebedinskaya, which identifies 4 clinical types of CRA.

CRA of constitutional genesis due to a slowdown in the maturation of the central nervous system. It is characterized by harmonious mental and psychophysical infantilism. With mental infantilism, the child behaves like a younger child; with psycho-physical infantilism, the emotional-volitional sphere and physical development suffer. The anthropometric data and behavior of such children do not correspond to the chronological age. They are emotionally labile, spontaneous, and lack attention and memory. Even at school age, their interests in play prevail.
CRD of somatogenic genesis due to severe and prolonged somatic diseases of the child at an early age, inevitably delaying the maturation and development of the central nervous system. The history of children with somatogenic mental retardation often includes bronchial asthma, chronic dyspepsia, cardiovascular and renal failure, pneumonia, etc. Usually, such children are treated for a long time in hospitals, which in addition also causes sensory deprivation. CRD of somatogenic genesis is manifested by asthenic syndrome, low performance of the child, less memory, superficial attention, poor formation of skills of activity, hyperactivity or lethargy with overwork.
CRD of psychogenic genesis due to the unfavorable social conditions in which the child lives (neglect, overprotection, cruel treatment). Deficit of attention to the child forms mental instability, impulsivity, and lag in intellectual development. Increased care fosters in a child lack of initiative, egocentrism, lack of will, lack of purposefulness.
CRA of cerebral-organic genesis occurs most often. It is caused by a primary non-gross organic brain damage. In this case, violations can affect individual areas of the psyche or manifest themselves in a mosaic manner in various mental areas. The delay in the mental development of cerebral-organic genesis is characterized by the lack of formation of the emotional-volitional sphere and cognitive activity: lack of vividness and brightness of emotions, low level of claims, pronounced suggestibility, poverty of imagination, motor disinhibition, etc.

Characteristics of children with CRD

Intellectual sphere

Emotional sphere

The personal sphere in children with mental retardation is characterized by emotional lability, easy mood swings, suggestibility, lack of initiative, lack of will, and immaturity of the personality as a whole. There may be affective reactions, aggressiveness, conflict, increased anxiety. Children with mental retardation are often withdrawn, prefer to play alone, do not seek to contact their peers. The play activity of children with DPD is characterized by monotony and stereotype, lack of a detailed plot, poverty of imagination, non-observance of game rules. Motility features include motor awkwardness, lack of coordination, and often hyperkinesis and tics.

A feature of mental retardation is that compensation and reversibility of violations are possible only in the context of special education and upbringing.

Diagnostics

Delayed mental development can be diagnosed only as a result of a comprehensive examination of the child by the psychological, medical and pedagogical commission (PMPK) consisting of a child psychologist, speech therapist, defectologist, pediatrician, child neurologist, psychiatrist, etc. This is done:

collection and study of anamnesis, analysis of living conditions;
examination of the child's medical records;
a conversation with a child, a study of intellectual processes and emotional-volitional qualities.

Based on information about the development of the child, the members of the PMPK make a conclusion about the presence of a mental retardation, give recommendations on the organization of the upbringing and education of the child in the conditions of special educational institutions.

In order to identify the organic substrate of mental retardation, the child needs examination by medical specialists, first of all, a pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist. Instrumental diagnostics can include EEG, CT and MRI of the child's brain, etc. Differential diagnosis of mental retardation should be carried out with oligophrenia and autism.

Correction of mental retardation

Working with children with mental retardation requires a multidisciplinary approach and the active participation of pediatricians, child neurologists, child psychologists, psychiatrists, speech therapists, and defectologists. Correction of mental retardation should begin from preschool age and be carried out for a long time.

Children with mental retardation must attend specialized preschool educational institutions (or groups), type VII schools or correctional classes of general education schools. The peculiarities of teaching children with mental retardation include the dosage of educational material, reliance on visualization, repeated repetition, frequent changes in activities, and the use of health-saving technologies.

When working with such children, special attention is paid to the development of:

cognitive processes (perception, attention, memory, thinking);
emotional, sensory and motor spheres with the help of fairy tale therapy,.
correction of speech disorders in the framework of individual and group speech therapy classes.

Together with teachers, correctional work on teaching students with mental retardation is carried out by teachers-defectologists, psychologists, social teachers. Medical care for children with mental retardation includes drug therapy in accordance with the identified somatic and cerebral-organic disorders, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage, hydrotherapy.

Forecast and prevention

The lag in the rate of the child's mental development from the age norms can and must be overcome. Children with mental retardation are learnable, and with properly organized correctional work, positive dynamics are observed in their development. With the help of teachers, they are able to assimilate knowledge, skills and abilities that their normally developing peers master on their own. After leaving school, they can continue their studies at vocational schools, colleges and even universities.

Prevention of mental retardation in a child involves careful planning of pregnancy, avoiding adverse effects on the fetus, preventing infectious and somatic diseases in young children, providing favorable conditions for upbringing and development. If the child lags behind in psychomotor development, an immediate examination by specialists and the organization of correctional work is necessary.