What You Should Know About People with Mental Retardation

Occasionally you may see these people in the community. Perhaps you notice them because they look "a little different", they may be in a wheel chair or use a walker. Maybe you first notice them because you hear them talk loudly and animatedly. You may notice these people because they seem to make spastic movements or odd sounds. People with developmental or mental disabilities are all around us, and, thankfully, they are appearing more and more in the community.

For centuries people with disabilities were the cast-offs of society, either abandoned as children, sent to orphanages, locked up in insane asylums, or even prisons. Because society did not understand the problems experienced by these wonderful people, out of fear and misunderstanding, those with disabilities were demonized, discarded and disrespected.

Remarkably, in the past century, scientists and doctors have begun to understand the complex medical problems faced by people with disabilities, and vast improvements have been made in medical treatments and therapies. For many years, these individuals were housed in large facilities and institutions. Over the past ten or twenty years, however, a large shift has been occurring in the way these people are cared for, and assimilated into the community.

For 5 years, I had the privilege of working in an Intermediate Care Facility for People with Mental Retardation (ICFMR). I began my job by working in direct care, and after a few years was promoted to the position of Supervisor over three living areas that housed sixty individuals with disabilities. The entire facility accommodated nearly 300 such residents. During my tenure I found a special place in my heart for people who are born with traumatic disabilities, or those who experience accidents in childhood or adulthood that leave them mentally incapacitated. I have observed many things that I believe will be helpful to you as you come into more frequent contact with people with disabilities.