Understanding Mental Retardation

by Patricia Ainsworth M.D, Pamela C Baker

Overview

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 Retardation explores 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 Retardation sheds 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578066476
Publisher:	University Press of Mississippi
Publication date:	06/04/2004
Series:	Understanding Health and Sickness Series
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.48(w) x 8.46(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

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 of Understanding 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 of Embarking on a New Century: Mental Retardation at the End of the 20th Century.

Table of Contents

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

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Patricia M. Granier, MD (Ochsner Clinic Foundation)
Description: This excellent resource on mental retardation describes the genetic and multifactorial aspects of this disorder and provides caregivers with background information to better understand how mental retardation occurs and how it impacts those involved.
Purpose: The book is written for individuals involved in the care of patients and family members with mental retardation. It is a vast resource for testing, government agencies, and support groups for the spectrum of disorders under the umbrella of mental retardation.
Audience: The target audience includes healthcare providers and parents. Some of the genetic discussions are probably more detailed than parents or counselors would need, but the support and contact information for the various disorders is an excellent resource.
Features: The book covers a wide array and detailed presentation of the various disorders that fall under the definition of mental retardation. It explains the multifactorial causes of this disorder as well as provides practical information on assessment and treatment, social and legal issues.
Assessment: This is an excellent resource for those involved in the care of those with mental retardation.

Doody's Review Service

Mental retardation is estimated to affect two to two and a half million people in the United States. Ainsworth (psychiatry & human behavior, Univ. of Mississippi) and Baker (coeditor, Embarking on a New Century: Mental Retardation at the End of the 20th Century) provide basic information for people who interact with or care for those with a permanent mental disability. Covered are the causes, manifestations, and characteristics of the most common disorders, along with prevention issues and the effects of psychiatric illness (a relatively new area of study). An outline of normal mental development is included as a point of reference, as is a brief historical overview of mental retardation relative to Western culture. The value of this work hinges on its accessible presentation: parents and caregivers are given up-to-date information that should enable them to anticipate hurdles, to advocate, and to access necessary support services. Precious few books address the history and needs of people with mental retardation so thoroughly for parents and caregivers; highly recommended for public and academic libraries.-Deborah Anne Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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