Profound Mental Retardation
This represents the most severe degree of mental retardation, defined by an IQ of below 20. It involves a general significant limitation of neuropsychological development and motor skills. The majority of people with this degree of the disorder are immobile (they lie, or crawl). Speech is present only at the level of instinctive, or affective reactions (screams). Children and adults cannot manage without intensive assistance in movement, communication, hygiene, and intake of food.
ICD-10 differentiates two more types of mental retardation (other mental retardation, and unspecified mental retardation) which are used for situations when it is impossible to precisely determine the respective degree of associated disorders (sensory, physical, behavioral disorders, autism), or the manifestations of the child do not contain sufficient evidence to include the individual into one of the abovementioned degrees.
Support for children with mental retardation in kindergarten
In order to support children with mental retardation, we should follow the recommendations of the school counselling facility. The level of support is dependent on the level of disability and other individual characteristics of a child (associated disability, support from the family environment).
However, there are some general recommendations when supporting children with mental disabilities:
• When discovering symptoms of mental disability we should recommend an examination at the school counselling facility in a sensitive manner. We should avoid expressing our suspicions of a specific diagnosis, instead arguing for the need to provide the best possible support for the child within the kindergarten.
• When communicating with a child with mental retardation we use simple statements, when providing instructions and describing processes we should simultaneously demonstrate the activity we expect from the child.
• Short, unambiguous statements may be accompanied by a picture, photograph or other form of visual aid (a pictogram, etc.).
• When communicating we try to avoid using less common words and abstract concepts.
• We should rehearse practical tasks of self-care with the child, so as to achieve the greatest possible autonomy.
• When preparing activities aimed and the child’s development (especially in the area of the development of cognitive abilities), we should always have in mind the child’s actual level of development, not the expected skills and abilities for a given age.