Autism-World

Q: I can’t go anywhere these days without running into an autistic kid. I don’t see any difference between these guys and the defective kids we made fun of in high school.

Not to sound mean or anything, but are Autistic of today kids the same kids known as retards in the 80’s?

Answer:

Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior, all exhibited before a child is three years old.

Mental retardation is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (”milestones”) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal global intellectual capacity as an adult. One common criterion for diagnosis of mental retardation is a tested intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or below and deficits in adaptive functioning.

People with mental retardation may be described as having developmental disabilities, global developmental delay, or learning difficulties.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 11:28 am and is filed under Ask and answer.