Medical care of the mentally retarded

A physician providing medical services to a mentally retarded child must be prepared to deal not only with individuals who have multiple physical, mental and emotional problems, but also to help families' attempts to cope with an often bewildering array of service providers. The physician must know when to relate to the patient's needs on the basis of mental age and when to relate on the basis of chronological age; he must recognize the lifelong nature of the disability or disabilities with changing manifestations and needs as the individual grows older; he must be aware of the high incidence of certain types of associated problems or pathology in this population; and he must acknowledge, understand and overcome his own feelings of inadequacy, impatience and discomfort in dealing with the mentally retarded. The mentally retarded individual and his family must know where and how to obtain services; they must try to evaluate, hopefully with the guidance of concerned and knowledgeable physicians, which service need takes precedence at a particular time. They must keep in mind that routine medical care should not be neglected in the pursuit of specialty care, while, through it all, keeping things in their proper perspective.