| Frequently there are individual differences from child to | | | | ambiguous. |
| child, but the there are common characteristics in | | | | They really have a hard time understanding motives |
| children with mental retardation issues. | | | | and feelings of others. They tend to see very little |
| Children with mental retardation have poor impulse | | | | beyond themselves and how they are impacted. They |
| control and responses are often an over-reaction to | | | | may have immature ideas about the causes of things |
| the situation. This may be confusing to them. They | | | | and who is to blame about things that are their own |
| may need to have the situation explained to them, | | | | fault. They might also assign blame for accidents, and |
| especially where their thinking went wrong. | | | | they may not always understand the difference |
| Over-reactions may be general thinking errors, and | | | | between accidental and on-purpose. If the situation is |
| they need explanations in simple terms. Make sure | | | | too complex, they do not always understand the |
| they are looking directly at you because they cannot | | | | difference between right and wrong. Simple right and |
| calm down if they cannot hear you. And they cannot | | | | wrong – hitting, yelling, etc. – they do understand. |
| hear you if they cannot see you! | | | | Very few kids with mental retardation will freely admit |
| They have a limited number of social and | | | | that they have mental retardation. They want to be |
| communication skills that can result in using physical | | | | normal and fit in. They will act as though they |
| acts to express anger and frustration rather than | | | | understand something even though they really don’t |
| words, especially when the situation is complex. Help | | | | because they want to fit in, and because they want |
| remove the complexities of the situation and | | | | approval. They are more likely to answer ‘yes’ |
| communicate with words rather than actions. | | | | than ‘no’ to questions. It is important to know |
| Moral judgment requires the ability to be able to go | | | | this. You can still ask yes-no questions, but follow them |
| beyond oneself and see how your behaviors will | | | | up with questions that find out if the person knows |
| impact someone else. Children with mental retardation | | | | what you are asking, or if they are seeking approval. |
| cannot always do this without help. They need people | | | | Ask to explain the idea or how it works. Avoid |
| to point this out to them. Once someone points out | | | | ‘what if’ questions. |
| how their behavior impacts someone else, they will | | | | Kids with mental retardation may do some things |
| understand, and they may or may not do something | | | | better than they do other things. They may have a |
| about their behavior. They may also need to be told | | | | strength or some social capability. Or they may have a |
| exactly what to do, especially if the situation is | | | | strength in a small area where overall they are limited. |