Understanding Mental Retardation

by Ainsworth, Patricia; Baker, Pamela C., Ph.D.

• ISBN13: 9781578066476
• ISBN10: 1578066476
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Mississippi

Summary

CONSUMER HEALTH-->What measures can parents and advocates take to insure that people who have mental retardation live full, rewarding lives from infancy to old age?Understanding Mental Retardationexplores a diverse group of disorders from their biological roots to the everyday challenges faced by this special population and their families. With parents and those who care for people who have mental retardation in mind, Patricia Ainsworth and Pamela C. Baker write in a style that is at once accessible, informative, and sympathetic to the concerns of those affected.The authors provide practical information that will assist families and other advocates in obtaining needed services. They discuss assessment and treatment, education and employment, social and sexual adjustment, as well as regulatory and legal issues.This book covers the causes of mental retardation, the signs and symptoms of the most common forms of these disorders, and issues of prevention. For the sake of comparison, the book describes basic concepts of normal human development and references the history of Western civilization's responses to those with mental retardation.Understanding Mental Retardationsheds new light on mental illnesses that can complicate the lives of those with mental retardation, and the way symptoms of mental illness may appear confused or masked in a patient with mental retardation. Along with information on treatments and diagnoses, the book offers contact information for governmental resources, as well as a brief summary of the legal issues pertaining to mental retardation in America.Patricia Ainsworth is an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and has a private practice in Ridgeland, Mississippi. She is the author ofUnderstanding Depression(University Press of Mississippi).Pamela C. Baker is director of the South Mississippi Regional Center in Long Beach, Mississippi. She is also an independent consultant in management and disabilities administration and co-editor ofEmbarking on a New Century: Mental Retardation at the End of the 20th Century.

Author Biography

Patricia Ainsworth is assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and has a private practice in Ridgeland, Mississippi Pamela C. Baker is director of the South Mississippi Regional Center in Long Beach, Mississippi. She is also an independent consultant

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
1. What Is Mental Retardation and Who Is Affected?	3	(34)
2. Normal Development	37	(13)
3. Evolving Concepts of Mental Retardation	50	(24)
4. The First Six Years: Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children	74	(12)
5. School-Aged Children, Adolescents, and Teenagers	86	(18)
6. The Adult Years	104	(18)
7. The Elderly	122	(11)
8. Psychiatric Illness and Mental Retardation	133	(22)
9. Research on the Future of Prevention and Treatment of Mental Retardation	155	(11)
Appendices
A. Who May Benefit from Genetic Counseling?	166	(1)
B. Milestones of Human Development	167	(7)
C. Selected Federal Legislation and Regulations Pertinent to Mental Retardation	174	(11)
D. Selected Governmental and Organizational Resources	185	(12)
Index	197