Question
A 3-year-old boy often appears to be lost in thought, sometimes does not respond to calls, is quiet and inactive, and has not been able to produce simple sounds. He often falls while walking and has poor motor coordination. Concerned about this situation, the child has been taken to the hospital for examination. The doctor diagnosed the condition as intellectual disability and recommended treatment at a specialized hospital. I would like to inquire about trustworthy hospitals that can treat pediatric intellectual disability.
Answer
Intellectual disability (mental retardation, MR) refers to a group of disorders where intellectual functioning is significantly below the level of peers during the growth and development period, accompanied by adaptive behavior deficits. An IQ below the population mean by 2.0 standard deviations (with the population’s IQ mean set at 100, and one standard deviation’s IQ value at 15) is generally considered intellectual disability. If the cause of the condition has been identified, such as chronic diseases, poisoning, long-term malnutrition, hearing and vision impairments, efforts should be made to remove the cause as much as possible to allow for partial or complete recovery of intellectual function.