Autism is not a form of mental retardation and autistic people are usually intelligent, but they have inconceivable sensory experiences and difficulty interpreting them. Mental retardation is characterized by below-average intellectual abilities and lack of skills for daily living. The causes of both conditions are related to several risk factors. Separate treatment plans are recommended for each condition.
There is a big difference between mental retardation and autism. Autism is not a form of mental retardation, although many autistic people appear to act like retarded people. In fact, autistic people are usually very intelligent. Conversely, people with mental retardation, by definition, lack the skills needed for daily living and have below-average intellectual abilities.
Autistic people have inconceivable sensory experiences. In many cases, they can react to situations sensitively. It can also be difficult for them to interpret what they are experiencing. As a result, it is common for them to avoid being touched by other people. Their brains may have insufficient sensation to let the rest of their body know what is going on, which ultimately leads to more confusion for an autistic person.
Hearing and vision problems in people with autism are also different. Many of the noises they hear damage their ears because they cannot process sound properly. When people talk to them, it’s hard to understand what’s being said. In a comparison of the visual abilities of people with mental retardation and those with autism, autistic people have more difficulty recognizing different faces. Bright lights and flickering frequencies make it difficult to see objects.
The causes of mental retardation and autism are related to several risk factors. An infection such as meningitis that is present at birth or occurs later can increase the chances of mental retardation. Chromosomal abnormalities and inherited metabolic disorders such as Tay-Sachs disease could also cause it. In autism, abnormal brain development or tuberous sclerosis can contribute to it. Autism is the end result of the many disorders that affect the brain from growing properly.
When examining the differences between these two conditions, the variations of mental retardation are divided into three general categories. People might have mild retardation, moderate to severe retardation, or profound mental retardation. Characteristics of mild delay include needing limited support and experiencing minor development delays. Severe mental retardation identifies the person as having the mindset of an infant or young child despite being an adult. The deep level may require that the person be institutionalized.
Separate treatment plans are recommended for mental retardation and autism. The main goal of treating people with mental retardation is to develop them to their full potential. A lack of curiosity and continued childish behavior are signs of mental retardation. In autism, there is no master treatment protocol. Studies have shown that structured behavioral programs work best for autistic people.
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