What is the difference between autism and mental retardation?

Autism is marked by impaired social interaction, verbal and non -verbal communication, and repetitive behavior. Symptoms of autism tend to arise before the age of three. Autism has a strong genetic basis, although some aspects of autism are complicated and unexplained. It is not unusual for autistic youngsters to have awkward social cues, such as demonstrating less attention to social stimuli, not maintaining eye contact with someone when speaking, and not responding to their name. Some other variables concerning autism include constant body rocking and the inability to focus.

On the other hand, mental retardation has a strict criterion that must be met for diagnosis. These include discrepancies in general cognitive abilities, significant weaknesses in one or more adaptive behavior areas in many different environments, and evidence that the limitations existed in childhood or adolescence. People with an intellectual disability have an IQ below 70.

In this condition, there is often severe impairment in functioning. Children with intellectual abilities often need extra help in schools, such as unlimited time to take a test and individual help from teachers who specialize in helping those with disabilities.

The significant difference between autism and mental retardation is that autism is a behavioral and psychological condition that is typically detected in early childhood. Autistic children often have difficulty with their communication skills, and having relationships with other people can be very stressful and challenging. Aside from certain variables, their intellectual functioning is quite normal or above average, with IQ range from 50 to 115 or above.

On the other hand, mental retardation or intellectual disability is a neurodevelopmental disability in which the brain is considerably impaired, causing poor intellectual and adaptive functioning, with an IQ between 0 and 70. Autism involves poor social interaction and inadequate verbal and non-verbal communication and restricted and repetitive behavior. Mental retardation, on the other hand, means that the person has inefficient mental abilities, seriously dire limitations in one or additional areas of adaptive behavior in multiple environments. This condition is also diagnosed in childhood.

Autism and mental retardation are both developmental, mental disorders, but autism is a broader term and can coexist with other mental disorders. People who are said to have autism (Autism spectrum disorder) show signs of low to poor social skills, have repetitive behavior, and have challenges in non-verbal communication and speaking.

Their symptoms usually appear at a very early age and are said to be caused by a mixture of genetics and environmental factors. Some people who have autism can recover from it but may need intense therapy and attention, but until now, there is no known cure for autism. Mental Retardation, on the other hand, is a person who has difficulty or cannot fully function in areas such as communication, work, motor skills, self-care, etc. They normally have very low IQs and need someone to take care of them for the rest of their life.