MENTAL RETARDATION

Mental retardation, mental deficiency, or (as it was once called) feeblemindedness is a problem quite different from mental illness, to which we have devoted the bulk of this chapter. We cannot run away from the prob­lem of mental retardation because it presents a major challenge to our society to find causes, seek prevention, and provide the best possible assurance for lives of maximum use­fulness The late John F. Kennedy, when he was President of the United States, ap­pointed, in October 1961, a panel of physi­cians, scientists, educators, lawyers, psycholo­gists, social scientists, and others to review programs and needs; to ascertain gaps: and to prescribe a program for action. This panel presented a 200-page report with 90 specific recommendations in October 1962.

The panel's report showed mental retarda­tion to be a major national health, social, and economic problem, affecting some 5.4 million children and adults and involving some 15 to 20 million family members in the United States. The panel estimated that the cost of care for America's mentally retarded was about $550 million a year, not counting a loss of several billion dollars of economic output to the nation annually.

Mental retardation has been denned as a condition, characterized by faulty develop­ment of intelligence, which impairs an indi­vidual's ability to learn and to adapt to the demands of society. The failure of intelligence to develop normally may be owing to diseases or conditions, occurring before or at the time of birth or in infancy and childhood, that dam­age the brain. The retardation may also be owing to factors determined by heredity that affect the development of the brain.

The magnitude of the problem of mental retardation in the United States may be roughly cast up on the basis of standard in­telligence tests. It has been generally noted that anyone with an I. Q. below about 70 has significant difficulties in adapting adequately to his environment. About 39t of the popula­tion score below this level.

Taking this figure of 3% it can be estimated that of 4.2 million children born each year. 126.000 are or will be classed as mentally retarded. Of these it is estimated that 4200 (0.1% of births) will be retarded so profoundly that they will not even be able to take care of their own creature needs. Another 12.600 (0.3% of births), it is calculated, will suffer "moderate" retardation, that is. they will re­main below the 7-year intellectual level. The remaining 110,000 (2.6% of births) are those with mild retardation and represent those who can, with special training and assistance, acquire limited job skills and achieve almost complete independence in community living.

If these percentage figures were applied to the population as a whole, it would indicate that there are 5.4 million mentally retarded people in the United States-60,000 to 90,000 profoundly retarded; 300,000 to 350,000 "moderately'' retarded; and some 5 million mildly   retarded  children,   adolescents,  and

adults who are able to adjust in a limited way to the demands of society, and possibly to play a positive role as workers.