Occupational Characteristics of the Mentally Handicapped

There is as much diversity in the personality characteristics of the mentally handicapped as there is in the general population. For those mentally handicapped individuals who share the same medical conditions, there may be more similarity then those with different conditions. The extent to which these personality characteristics affect their occupations depends on the degree of their mental handicap and vocational training they receive.

Limited Intellectual Development

• Mentally handicapped individuals have a limited, incomplete intellectual development which makes it hard for them to acquire new information or learn skills. It takes them longer to learn, and in some cases, they are unable to learn. Starting training at a young age can be helpful. Occupational programs that allow individuals to learn at their own pace or identify the tasks they cannot accomplish, help to identify what job skills they do have and what jobs would be best for them.

Social-Emotional Skills

• Because mentally handicapped individuals often have problems with processing things that are complex or abstract, their social-emotional skills may not develop fully. These skills are important for working and getting along with others. Individuals with no impulse control or frustration tolerance can be very disruptive in a work place. Those with low frustration tolerance may also resort to aggression or self-injury. As part of their occupational training they need to be taught skills to help keep their frustration level down.

Physical Characteristics

• There are some medical conditions that are associated with mentally handicapped individuals that have certain physical characteristics, such as short stature, unusual facial features or impaired speech. These physical characteristics can cause them to be victimized in the work place.

Practical and Functional Disabilities

• Mentally handicapped individuals are limited in logical and abstract thought. They may be unable to see how things are related to each other and tend to think in concrete terms. They may not understand social courtesy applies no matter what situation they're in. They may also struggle with social rules and customs and do things like interrupting someone when they are speaking, or breaking into a line, or not allowing someone else to have a turn. They may get in harm's way because they often don't recognize danger.

Intellectual Functioning

• Intellectual functioning is defined as the ability to reason, think abstractly, learn and solve problems. The intelligence quotient is one of the ways intellectual functioning is measured. Limited functioning is usually determined by a score of less than 70 on an IQ test. In general, individuals with a score under 70 have difficulty learning, problem solving, and reasoning. They may also have trouble communicating, processing language, difficulties analyzing things and making judgments, which can lead to low self esteem and mood disorders. The IQ score assists vocational counselors to determine what occupation would best be suited to an individual, both physically and mentally.

Learning Disabilties vs. Intellectual Disabilities

• Learning disabilities are specific to academics like reading, writing, and math. Intellectual disabilities or mental handicaps affect adaptive behavior, including experiential learning. These impairments can interfere with learning skills across many parts of the individual's life. For example, emotional immaturity can cause the individual to be bullied by peers. It can also cause disruptions in the work place because the individual doesn't understand social rules.