PATIENT CARE -Providing services to help individuals with mental retardation has led to a new understanding of how we define mental retardation. After the initial diagnosis of mental retardation is made, we look at a person's strengths and weaknesses. We also look at how much support or help the person needs to get along at home, in school, and in the community. This approach gives a realistic picture of each individual. It also recognizes that the "picture" can change. As the person grows and learns, his or her ability to get along in the world grows as well.

Support and Treatment

A person with mental retardation is likely to need individualized help.

IMHCS will work with our patients and staff to develop an individualized plan, which will describe:

• The patients unique needs
• The services the facility will provide to address those needs
• The unique responsibilities of the staff and support family members.

Many mentally retarded need help with adaptive skills, which are skills needed to live, work, and play in the community. Our staff and support family members can help a child work on these skills at both facilities and home. Some of these skills include:

• Communicating with others
• Taking care of personal needs (dressing, bathing, going to the bathroom);
• Health and safety
• Home living (helping to set the table, cleaning the house, or cooking dinner)
• Social skills (manners, knowing the rules of conversation, getting along in a group, playing a game)
• Reading, writing, and basic math and
• As they get older, skills that will help them in the workplace

Tips for families

• Demonstrate, don't just describe
  
  
• Show a picture or provide hands-on materials and experiences and the opportunity to try things out whenever possible, to complement new information
  
  
• Divide longer, new tasks into small steps. Demonstrate and have the student repeat the steps, one at a time. Provide assistance, as necessary
  
  
• Provide immediate feedback. Praise your  family member when he or she does well
  
  
• Encourage independence by helping the child learn daily care skills, such as dressing, feeding him or herself, using the bathroom, and grooming
  
  
• Assign simple chores appropriate to the family members age, attention span, and abilities in mind
  
  
• Community social activities, such as recreation center activities, sports can help the challenged family member build social skills as well as to have fun