ABSTRACT
Retardation has been defined many ways. There have been formal definitions for the purpose of classification and informal ones that serve for routine communication. Basically, however, mental retardation involves difficulties in efficiently gaining and using knowledge from the environment. There is a mismatch between the organism that must learn to exist in the environment and the structure of the environment. The nature of the match between individuals who are retarded and the demands of the environment may vary. The match may be relatively close or very distant. Individuals with a close match are designated as “mildly” retarded and those with distant matches are labeled “severely” to “profoundly” retarded; there is a “moderate” category in between. Most mild retardation is attributed to polygenic factors or environmental insufficiency (or both) while profound mental retardation often has an identifiable organic base. These distinctions in degree of retardation and in origins of retardation are important because they allow us to place bets on change strategies—where and how the social context and socializing agents can enhance as well as impede cognitive development.
