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I was recently at a seminar in which one of the segments was given by a psychologist and concerned diagnoses of mental retardation. Among his prepared materials was a sample checklist of some of the telltale signs that a person might have some form of mental retardation. Check out this list, then let your mind boggle at all the examples you can think of to illustrate each one (Bush, Palin, Teabaggers, Paliens, et al.) Apologies to anyone offended by the term "retarded," but the psychologist giving the lecture used it as a clinical term, so I thought it would be OK.
1. The mentally retarded will often have the following behavioral characteristics: A. Dependency on others & need to seek approval B. Poor social skills C. More impulsive D. Inability to delay gratification E. Poor frustration tolerance F. Often acquiesce to the wishes of other individuals whom they perceive to be in positions of authority G. Attempt to hide their disability to avoid the likely stigma associated with it (aka the "cloak of competence") H. Concrete thinking (difficulties with abstractions) I. Follower, not a leader J. Poor judgment K. Difficulty generalizing learning L. Needs "artificial supports": e.g., has a job with a well-defined routine not requiring decision-making skills, or has a significant other taking care of finances, etc. M. Placed in Special Education, or multiple grade retentions, or drops out of school early
2. The mentally retarded will often suffer from the following skill deficits: A. Difficulty in understanding emotions (labeling own emotional state, knowing how to handle intense emotions appropriately) B. Difficulty in taking the perspective of another person ("reading" the facial expressions of others, anticipating emotional reactions of others, etc.) C. Credulity and Gullibility
3. Red flags that the client may have MR A. Language 1. Speaks and understands primarily in concrete terms (inability to think in abstractions) 2. Misuses larger or more abstract words 3. Overly agreeable to anything that is said 4. If he/she uses more complex language, he/she repeats it almost verbatim and has trouble repeating it in his own words 5. Has conversational "scripts" which are overused and lack depth B. Reading & Writing skills: has difficulty with material that is over the third grade level C. Personality/Behavior: 1. Looks to others for how to handle difficult or new situations 2. Limited social skills 3. Acquiesces to the wishes of other individuals 4. Attempts to hide shortcomings even when not to his/her advantage 5. Difficulty in understanding the emotions and the perspectives of others
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