What is a mild mental disability?
A mild mental disability is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn but it will take them longer. There may be some things that they can not learn (e.g., higher level math). As a person grows and learns, his or her ability to get along in the world grows and changes as well. A student with a mild mental disability can do well in school but is likely to need individual help. As they become adults, most people with a mild mental disability can live independently. Other people may not even consider them as handicapped. How is a mild mental disability diagnosed? Mild mental disabilities are diagnosed by looking at two main things. These are: • the ability of a person’s brain to learn, think, solve problems, and make
