Thinking about basic needs or possibilities

Discoveries in human genetics led to forthcoming diseases and forthcoming syndromes and more knowledge about mental retardation. The advances of the developing knowledge about syndromes and consequences are promoting new ways of looking at a variety of human disorders and permanently changing the field as a result.
The improvements and research results in knowing more about certain syndromes lead to new understanding of and interventions for people who have mental retardation.
Causes, prevalence and basic physical characteristics help us understand the behavioural issues that are considered when developing interventions aiming for improving quality of life.

In life, every person has the basic right for getting the best possible help and guidance available.
This counts for all people in our world. So let's not think from the perspective of what persons with mental retardation are short of….a new perspective will be that all people are a collection of biochemical processes leading to certain (partly predictable) behaviour and experience. Given that there also is an environment that influences the development of each person in a different way, we should think of ways to learn to see what question for help persons with mental retardation could have in stead of thinking in terms of retardation or handicap.

In research in the field of mental retardation, we find several different cultures sharing a common interest. There are Psychology researchers looking at the complex measurements in competence and behaviour, and we find Biomedical researchers looking at causes and genetics. But all researchers in this field are interested in the behaviour of people with mental retardation.

Disorders of mental retardation influence cognition, language and behaviour, and therefore influence reactions of people in the environment of people with mental retardation.
The choices caretakers have to make in the field of educational and psychological (or other) interventions are relative.
Therapies are told to be only effective when improvement is seen according to the view of the people in the direct environment of the person with Mental Retardation. But the main aim will always be the improving of quality of life from the person with mental retardation.
The difficulty is not only to think from this different view, it is most complex to get to know what will be the best reachable quality of life for a person. Especially when you cannot ask these persons themselves.
Improvement can be achieved by changing conditions for communication, so improving all basic needs for being able to communicate. Will this in the experience of the person in question lead to improvement of life-quality, or to an easier way of living? Who can decide if it is the best help?

Written by M. Coppens