Myths Definition - Mental retardation is a state of functioning that begins in childhood and in which limitations in intelligence coexist with related limitations in adaptive skills. People with mental retardation are alike. A person with mental retardation may have nothing in common with another person with mental retardation and may have very different personalities, preferences and goals. Types of supports appropriate for one person may not be at all suitable for another person.
Mental retardation is a severe and chronic disability.
It is not a medical or mental illness. People with mental retardation are ill. Mental retardation is not an illness. You can't catch it and it is not something to be cured. An individual with mental retardation may or may not have a medical condition, physical disability or mental illness, just like anyone else.