ABSTRACT
THE physician is often the first professional person to suspect the presence of mental retardation in a young child (Illingworth, 1960; Levinson and Bigler, 1960). His initial approach to diagnosis is often crucial in initiating treatment, early parent counseling, and the use of proper community resources. But too often the physician is unaware of the cause of the mental retardation, too often has little if any specific therapy for the particular problem, and does not have tools available that will adequately forecast future development. Under such circumstances, it is natural for parents to seek further diagnostic help and counsel. The two major causes for "shopping" for additional diagnostic help are the dissatisfaction of the parents with the physician's initial appraisal of their child and the impact of mental retardation in a child in our society (Kirk, Karnes, and Kirk, 1958).
