Q: What is Mental Retardation?

A: Mental Retardation is not mental illness. It is a handicapping condition like blindness, deafness etc. It is defined as sub average general intelligence, manifesting during early developmental period. Intelligence comprises of memory, recognition, reasoning, verbal facility, motor competence and creativity. Impairment in the parts of the brain which are responsible for the above leads to mental retardation. Individuals with mental retardation have problem in learning. Learning is the most important skill for us to adapt in our environment. Individuals with mental retardation are unable to adapt well in their environment. They need special training to learn to adapt.

Q: What is Autism? Causes & Precautions ?

A: Autism is a severely incapacitating lifelong developmental disability that begins at birth or during the first three years of life. It affects the person’s abilities in communication and social interactions. It occurs in every five out of 10,000 births. It is a syndrome, a combination of certain behavioral characteristics, which is present in varying degree of severity.

Q: What is Occupational Therapy?

A: Occupational Therapy is a method of treatment for which the primary area of concern is the patient’s ability to perform functions required in day-to-day life. This method of treatment is also concerned with the social, psychological and cognitive development of the patient. Occupational Therapy is the art and science of directing man’s participation in selected tasks to restore, reinforce, and enhance the performance, facilitate learning of those skills and functions essential for adaptations and productivity, to diminish or correct pathology, and to promote and maintain health.

Q: What is Hearing Impairment ?

A: As the term itself implies, hearing impairment is a condition wherein the individual is deprived of his ability to hear, either partially or completely, in one or both ears.