Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Hey All, I was asked a question about what DS is and how it affects a person. I explained the whole chromosome thing and then I basically said that he would learn things slower then other kids. So then I asked if he was mentally retarded or learning disabled? I had no idea what the answer is. I know that our kids can learn and will learn but I am unsure how to answer this... Any thoughts? B __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I thought those were the same thing, just learning disabled is the new politically correct term. When I talk to people (especially people I know) I use the term mentally retarded because that's the term people understand. Personally I don't get caught up in the war of words. I'm not offended by terms unless someone is intentionally using them in a derogatory manner. Even on these lists I find myself concerned about posting...I try to say things in a manner I know won't offend, but sometimes end up just deleting my posts because I'm not sure if I've worded something incorrectly. My understanding is that yes, our kids can learn, they will have widely varying outcomes as the range of impairment can be quite diverse. We really treat Ruthie as we did our others...as she accomplishes new things, we move on to the next skills...some, of course, are piggybacked, not requiring mastering the skill before moving on. We set the bar high, but not so high as to frustrate her. When I talk to other people, how much I tell them really depends on how well I know them. We try not to have preconceived ideas of how far she will go and what she will be able to master and don't want others to label her in such a way, either Sue Hey All, I was asked a question about what DS is and how it affects a person. I explained the whole chromosome thing and then I basically said that he would learn things slower then other kids. So then I asked if he was mentally retarded or learning disabled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 In a message dated 4/26/2006 6:15:48 A.M. Central Standard Time, writes: Hey All, I was asked a question about what DS is and how it affects a person. I explained the whole chromosome thing and then I basically said that he would learn things slower then other kids. So then I asked if he was mentally retarded or learning disabled? I had no idea what the answer is. I know that our kids can learn and will learn but I am unsure how to answer this... Any thoughts? B , If I remember correctly the difference between learning disabled and mentally retarded (or cognitively delayed) is that a person with a learning disability has difficulty learning in one or two areas such as reading or math. Someone with mental retardation has " global " delays or is slower to learn all things or most things. In our school district cognitive delay or disability has replaced the term mental retardation. My nephew has dyslexia which is a learning disability that causes him difficulty in reading. , my son, is behind in all areas of development due to mental retardation. These are terms that have specific definitions in the medical and educational system but may be used by others without consideration for those definitions. Karyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I would say that someone who learns more slowley in all areas could still be considered learning delayed, since although most individuals with DS will test in the MR range, not all do, yet from what I can tell, all have more difficulty learning in all areas. I think that MR indicates a number range on the IQ scale, and suggests that most individuals that score in that range have overall learning difficulties. It's all just words though..... I think that anyone who has difficulty learning could be catagorized as " learning disabled " , but you would technically have to know that they scored in the MR range to be labeled " MR " . , mom to (10), (8 DS), and (6) KVanRyzin@... wrote: > >In a message dated 4/26/2006 6:15:48 A.M. Central Standard Time, > writes: > >Hey All, > >I was asked a question about what DS is and how it >affects a person. I explained the whole chromosome >thing and then I basically said that he would learn >things slower then other kids. So then I asked if he >was mentally retarded or learning disabled? > >I had no idea what the answer is. I know that our >kids can learn and will learn but I am unsure how to >answer this... > >Any thoughts? > > B > > > > >, >If I remember correctly the difference between learning disabled and >mentally retarded (or cognitively delayed) is that a person with a learning >disability has difficulty learning in one or two areas such as reading or math. >Someone with mental retardation has " global " delays or is slower to learn all >things or most things. In our school district cognitive delay or disability has >replaced the term mental retardation. >My nephew has dyslexia which is a learning disability that causes him >difficulty in reading. , my son, is behind in all areas of development due to >mental retardation. >These are terms that have specific definitions in the medical and >educational system but may be used by others without consideration for those >definitions. > >Karyn > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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