As defined, mental retardation refers to significant subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficiencies in adaptive behavior, manifested during the developmental period. Mental retardation or other developmental disabilities are not emotional or psychiatric problems or illnesses. There are many causes of mental retardation or other developmental disabilities. These include metabolic disorders, abnormal chromosomes, infections or substance abuse during pregnancy, brain injury and disease, or complications prior to or at the time of birth. Frequently, several of these causes exist at the same time, making it difficult to isolate a single cause and in the majority of cases the cause is unknown.
Mental retardation affects families of every social and economic level.
Mental retardation is just one developmental disability. Developmental disabilities may result from a number of conditions, such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, head injury, epilepsy or autism. The Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities is dedicated to minimizing the effects of mental retardation or other developmental disabilities through early diagnosis, special individualized programming, and training for people of all ages. Back to Staff.