What are some ethical or social issues that children with mental retardation have?
Ethical issues are really not an issue with children who suffer diminished mental capacity. As far as social issues are concerned, children with M.R. will be more introverted, less sociable, and will suffer from mild to severe anxiety when placed in social situations that are unfamiliar to them. However, you must also take into consideration the degree to which the child is impaired. Social functioning changes as the degree of M.R increased. Mild to Moderate cases of M.R may result in a child who can adapt to social situations and even lead a somewhat normal life with assistance. Children with moderate to severe M.R. will be less likely to be independent and will require constant supervision for the remainder of their lives. Unfortunately, our society is not readily equipped to offer the children an opportunity to lead independent and goal-oriented lives, which impacts the type of life they will eventually wind up having.
