Mentally Retarded Part I

[Diva]

I saw a case about mental retardation and wanted to approach it a different way. First I would like to have your opinions on what 'mentally retarded' is.

State definition of mental retardation: Defendants must prove three things: that their IQ is below 70 or 75, that they lack fundamental social and practical skills, and that both conditions existed before they turned 18.

[JakeD]

The main problem is the method of determining IQ and fundamental social and practical skills. I know some people who seem perfectly normal, but lack fundamental social and practical skills, and even then such things can be voluntarily faked. Even IQ tests can fail to a degree, if someone wants to purposefully fail.

I think of someone who's mentally retarded, I think of someone that is obviously developmentally challenged (such as a child with Down's syndrome), and mental retardation should be determinable through a battery of tests such as brain wave patterns and so forth. I don't believe in sitting down with someone for ten minutes and judging whether or not they're retarded by that means, because I know regular guys who could fake being retarded extremely well.

[Thaum1el]

IQ level is hardly and social skills should probably not be the two requirements to determined what retarded is. I'm probably out wrong on the English here, but to me, since retarded corresponds to the Swedish term "efterbliven" (lit. "after-becomed") it suggests to me a mental handicap. As such, it should probably be able for medical expertice to determine a better definition of it - after all, they have been able to label people mentallt handicapped for decades.

I mean, the popular view on a nerd or geek is social inaptness. Although this is a prejudice stereotype, by this definition, the juridical system has determined geeks to be half-way retarded.

On the other hand, retarded and of low intelligence is not the same thing.

Or, to take it in short:

If you put and apple to a pear, you don't get a banana. Instead you need to make an empiric definition of the banana. And, quite frankly, a biologist is the best bet on making such a definition. So let the doctors and scienists decide what it means to be retarded. Not some judge.

[whitecrow]

The dictionary definition of "retard" is "to hold back". Isn't "retarded" not PC anymore?

[Bassmama]

The dictionary definition of "retard" is "to hold back". Isn't "retarded" not PC anymore?

Yeah- supposedly, but I'm so FUCKING sick of some assholes telling me when I can & can't use certain words according to when THEY say. Everyone's so scared to say the wrong thing. I can understand most of it (the 'N' word to describe a black person, etc...) but I think they have taken things a bit too far at times. BTW- MY definition of a '******' is a lowlife dirtbag of ANY color- has nothing to do with skin color.

Funny thing- just when you think you have the definition down as far as compartmentalizing is concerned, you realize that you can't be strict with it. I did a medical exam at some peoples' house yesterday & their refridgerator was plastered with pictures of a young down's syndrome man- in judo poses, running in races, awards for all sorts of different things... high level of learning & functioning. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet him as he had passed away a few months ago at age 40 from heart complications connected to the DS.

Then you consider my husband & his family- narrow minded, ignorant, lieing, dishonest, cruel.... his parents quit school in 6th grade & he & his 3 sisters went no further than high school. NONE of them can speak english properly. ("I seen him yesterday." "I had went there before." "How are youse?") and 'something' is pronounced 'suttum'. You tell me who's more retarded.

Seems to me, 'retarded' should mean a person that doesn't perform as well as they're able- but that might include most of us.

[Diva]

My personal opinion is that a person is mentally retarded if they have a low IQ and are unable to learn past that level. If a person has a low IQ because they ditched school, then they should not have that title.

Anyone else?

[Evilpoptart]

Now this is Retarded, no seriously