A:
This diagnosis means
cognitive and language functioning below age expectations. This
condition is often found in children having a history of a neglectful
family and/or life in orphanage. For an American ear "delays
in mental development" usually sounds akin to "mental
retardation". In fact, it means temporal delays in social and
cognitive skills usually expected from children of this age. This
delay is mostly environmentally induced and can be educationally
remedied/compensated for. We cannot, however, rule out a possible
neurological basis for these delays.
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