]Re: Re: WAS New study - SARAH

[Guest guest]

Janice, as the prior poster noted, atypical development is fine, as is

developementally disabled, cognitively impaired, etc. Thanks for your

consideration and post. carolyn

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[Guest guest]

Carolyn,

I just wanted to let you know that Mark was originally assessed as being

borderline mentally handicapped in 2nd grade on his performance scale. This is

the term they used at the time. Would that be changed now to be cognitively

impaired or how would that work?

At any rate, I am sure that I am one of those who have used the term MR since

that is what was used when Mark was young. I will do my very and absolute best

to remember that this is no longer an appropriate term. Is there an ancronym

that we can use instead of writing the whole term " cognitively challenged " or

" Developmentally Delayed " out? Is developmentally delayed the same as

neurodevelopmentally delayed? I am starting to get lost in the labels!

Sorry....

I agree that MR is not appropriate. In addition, the more I begin to understand

processing, the more I learn that there are too many facets behind the brain to

'label' the problem on one item. It is too multi-dimensional and complex for

that.

For instance, Mark would no longer be considered " borderline mentally

handicapped in the performance scale " ..... not by a long shot! I find it odd

that he should have received that label but I cannot speak for how testing is

done and why they choose the labels they choose. Because Mark's system(s) were

not working properly, his testing came out as being borderline but he had

incurred no physical brain damage. So.... everything should theoretically be

fixable if we can find the right exercise to get the brain moving and the neural

connections 'snapping' to the right tune! That's kind of what we have done

though we still have a bit to go especially with regards to Mark's hands.

But from every thing that I have read, even if you have an actual physical brain

injury, you can certainly overcome a substantial amount of it given the correct

exercises. The neuroplasticity of the brain shows this. The brain can repair

itself or develop new connections to bypass areas of physical injury. There

are many, many living examples of this if you look at the kids and the adults at

NACD. Thus, nothing is fixed in stone and everything is variable.

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM]Re: [ ] Re: WAS New study - SARAH

, is there a reason you still use the term, " mental retardation " ? I am

sorry if a doctor used that term with you (assuming they did) and even sorrier

that so many still use it, but really it is a very negative term. I asked her

off list and on list to please try and use another term. Why are you using

this? Carolyn

**************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.

(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/

2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)