Deficits in intellectual functioning may be the result of several factors: Genetic abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome or uncontrolled PKU; problems during pregnancy, such as in cell division if the mother consumes alcohol; problems at birth, such as insufficient oxygen reaching the babyâs brain; and health problems after birth, such as extreme malnutrition or contracting meningitis.In the United States, about 3 out of 100 people are intellectually disabled.Thankfully, about 87% of this population is diagnosed as mildly disabled while only 13% have IQ scores of 50 and below (The Arc, 2001).Your task in this discussion is to examine intellectual disability from a social perspective. Think about itâ¦The large majority of intellectually disabled people are classified as trainable or educable. This means that they work, get married, and raise families. Typically, these individuals marry those who have similar intellectual skills. The most likely outcome for the children born to these couples is that they too suffer from some degree of intellectual deficit.
Should society limit the rights of mentally retarded people to have and raise children? Does what is good for the society override the rights of its intellectually disabled members? What are the ethical concerns --- for the society? For the individuals? Should the current social practice of non-interference stay? What may be some other less radical alternatives for society to consider?
At least one cited reference