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An
Introduction to Mental Retardation
An individual is considered
to have mental retardation based on the following three criteria: intellectual
functioning level (IQ) is below 70-75; significant limitations exist in
two or more adaptive skill areas; and the condition is present from childhood
(defined as age 18 or less) (AAMR, 1992). Adaptive skill areas are those daily living skills needed to live, work and play in the community. They include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics (reading, writing, basic math), community use and work. Adaptive skills are assessed in the person's typical environment across all aspects of an individual's life. A person with limits in intellectual functioning who does not have limits in adaptive skill areas may not be diagnosed as having mental retardation. Employment of People with Mental Retardation How many people have mental retardation? Based on the 1990 census, an estimated 6.2 to 7.5 million people in the United States have mental retardation (mr). Mental retardation is 12 times more common than cerebral palsy and 30 times more prevalent than neural tube defects such as spina bifida. It affects 100 times as many people as total blindness. Mental retardation cuts across the lines of racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic backgrounds. It can occur in any family. One out of ten American families is directly affected by mental retardation.
No. Recent studies indicate that only 7 to 23 percent of adults with mental retardation are employed full-time. While an additional small percentage (9-20%) are employed part-time, most are either unemployed or not in the labor force. The National Consumer Survey of adults with mental retardation reported 81 percent not working (Temple University Developmental Disabilities Center/UAP, 1990). Another survey of youth out of school three to five years found 63 percent not working (Wagner, et al, 1992). While today's youth appear to be doing better in the job market, they still are unemployed to a greater extent than youth with most other disabilities and those without disabilities.
Obviously, there is a great untapped reservoir of workers in this country -- people who can work, people who want jobs. A number of barriers contribute to the low employment rate of people with mental retardation. They may not receive vocational training and work experience while in school. They may not learn about career options, have experiences to develop appropriate social skills required for successful employment and may not be encouraged to look forward to work. After leaving school, many adults with mental retardation find there are no services in their communities to assist them in obtaining and maintaining employment. Most need some support in learning a job and interventions when they have trouble with job performance. Employers may hesitate to recruit, hire and train individuals with mental retardation because they are not sure that they know how to accommodate their disability. Parents may have low expectations of work for their sons and daughters with mental retardation. They may worry that going to work may cause their son or daughter to lose entitlements which provide a monthly income and health coverage. Transportation to work is often a problem for people with mental retardation, especially since many do not drive. Public transportation is not universally available. Finally, they may have difficulty in finding work when the unemployment rate is high in their community.
They need to learn the skills for living in their own place and for maintaining personal health and safety. Schools can provide these learning opportunities to students with mental retardation, at least in part, by providing an individualized education program that is functional and based on the student's unique characteristics and preferences. Students with mental retardation also need to be prepared for future employment. Several school practices support the student's preparation for transition from school to work: Integrated settings Opportunity to
participate in vocational education programs Training at employment
sites Job-seeking skills
curriculum Skill-building
for enhanced self-determination They may contain components covering choice-making; decision-making; problem-solving; goal setting and attainment; independence, risk-taking and safety skills; self-observation, self-evaluation and self-reinforcements skills; self-instruction skills; self-advocacy and leadership skills. School instructional practices may also help students develop attitudes leading to enhanced self-determination, such as holding positive expectations, being aware of their own strengths, and believing they can control or influence outcomes (Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes, 1998).
The road leading to a successful transition from childhood to adulthood begins much earlier than the teenage years. It starts when children learn about themselves, their strengths and weaknesses and, so doing, begin to value themselves. It ends when, as adults, these same children can take control over choices and decisions that impact their lives and take responsibility for their actions. This is called self-determination (Davis & Wehmeyer, undated). Parents can be effective educators in communicating to their children the value of work and by teaching behaviors that develop their children's employment potential. Parents can provide opportunities for enjoyable community activities that allow children to see people at work in different settings. Parents can allow as much independence as possible, assign children responsibility of certain chores to help instill a positive work ethic, promote appropriate behavior at home and in social situations, assist their children in practicing good grooming skills, and emphasize the importance of physical fitness. Parents can also support their children's development of self-determination skills by helping them learn to work toward goals, setting realistic but ambitious expectations for their achievements, and allowing them to take responsibility for their own actions. Parents should not leave choice-making to chance, but provide many opportunities for their children to make choices, ranging from what to wear to helping the family decide where to go on vacation. By being allowed the opportunities to make choices and decisions, to explore and take risks and to learn from experiences of success and failure, children will develop the abilities and attitudes necessary to be self-determined adults.
According to research, most people with disabilities will experience some form of sexual assault or abuse (Sobsey & Varnhagen, 1989). The rate of sexual victimization in the general population is alarming, yet largely goes unnoticed. At least 20 percent of females and 5 to 10 percent of males are sexually abused every year in the U.S. Although these figures are disturbingly high, people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are at an even greater risk of sexual victimization. Victims who have some level of intellectual impairment are at the highest risk of abuse (Sobsey & Doe, 1991). More than 90 percent of people with developmental disabilities will experience sexual abuse at some point in their lives. Forty-nine percent will experience 10 or more abusive incidents (Valenti-Hein & Schwartz, 1995). Other studies suggest that 39 to 68 percent of girls and 16 to 30 percent of boys will be sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday. The likelihood of rape is staggering: 15,000 to 19,000 of people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the United States (Sobsey, 1994).
People with mental retardation may not realize that sexual abuse is abusive, unusual or illegal. Consequently, they may never tell anyone about sexually abusive situations. People with and without disabilities are often fearful to openly talk about such painful experiences due to the risk of not being believed or taken seriously. They typically learn not to question caregivers or others in authority. Sadly, these authority figures are often the ones committing the abuse. Many special education programs have encouraged students to be compliant in a wide range of life activities, ultimately increasing the child's vulnerability to abuse (Turnbull, et.al., 1994). They often think they have no right to refuse sexually abusive treatment and are not taught risk reduction skills. Risk factors associated with sexual abuse include social powerlessness, communication skill deficits, impaired judgment, family isolation/stress and living arrangements that increase vulnerability.
The Arc National
Headquarters (email) info@thearc.org
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