to feel uncomfortable with the phrase 'mental age'?

[ILovePud]

Whilst reading the coverage of the story of the men banned from visiting LEGOLAND in Manchester (which I think is unbelievably daft btw) I've seen the phrase 'mental age' used several times. Something about this phrase doesn't sit right with me, it feels disrespectful to describe adults with learning/intellectual disabilities in this way. I wonder where it has originated too, just because a person has scored at the level expected of a seven year old on some tests measuring some aspect of cognitive functioning doesn't mean that they are mentally the same as a seven year old even if they might have interests similar to some seven year olds. What do other people think?

I think you are over-thinking and looking for an excuse to be offended

I think it's one way of allowing people to understand that although my daughter looks 9 years old, she really has the maturity of a 4 or 5 year old.

I tend to say 'functions at around....' but mental age can be an accurate way of describing the function of a globally delayed individual. If the man in question was in all other ways 'normal' but only had the mathematical ability of a 7 year old then he wouldn't be described as having the mental age of a 7 year old.

It's more about the social awareness, I think.

I don't like it either. What do parents or carers of adults with LD prefer?

It's a phrase that isn't used by the medical community any more AFAIK. It's outdated and incorrect.

Somebody who is an adult has a far wider range of experiences than a small child. Doesn't matter what sort of disability they have. It's infantilising and contributes, IMO, to the mistreatment of people with learning disabilities.

YANBU, I believe the phrase is actually discouraged in professional circles now, as not being particularly helpful.

It's a term that isn't used by Health/Social Care professionals, anymore.

It doesn't help the wider public understand what having Learning Disabilities means to an individual.

""I think you are over-thinking and looking for an excuse to be offended""

It isn't over-thinking to want the media to be upto date with correct terms, they are supposed to be informing the public. The OP didn't come across as offended. I'm not, as a parent of a young adult with LDs, but would like there to be a better understanding of all LD's/MH conditions and language plays it's part in that.

What should be used instead?

"functions at the level of" tends to be more the way it's described these days in my experience

Then again, I've heard quite a few parents of adults with LD describe them as 'not all there', 'not right in the head', 'mentally disabled' etc. (they do tend to be older parents to be fair)

The dementia assessment for people with LD used to be called a DMR (Dementia in the Mentally Retarded) but has since been renamed the DLD (Dementia in learning Disabled). That's a relatively recent (1990's I think) development.

Old phrases tend to stick unfortunately, especially in the media.

I don't like 'mental age'. 'Functions at the level of' is better. It's not difficult to check on preferred current terminology and imo the media should be doing that as a matter of course.

Pru I agree that the media should be doing more research, however, I think it's quite likely that this was the way his Mum described him, therefore that's how it was reported.

""What should be used instead?""

In terms of the Newspaper, it didn't have to go any further than using "Learning Disability" and explaining that he required one-one care.

When working with a person with LD's, the persons capabilities are shared and what they struggle with and need doing for them.

My DD has Moderate LDs, has GCSE's, is at a Main Stream Collage, but can't fully self care, has poor literacy skills and communication issues, yet she works in Costa (and not as a token Disabled employee).

There isn't a recognition of Mental Age, just development (in children) and cognitive/memory/understanding functioning, then there are other categories, from a HC POV.

People with LDs can't be so easily labeled.

If it's considered rude then a newspaper should use what's considered polite.

However, sometimes it conveys a useful piece of information - for instance it explains in a very basic way why a learning disabled person who's physically adult might enjoy an activity aimed at young children.

Functions at the level of?!?! Fucking kidding me! That's surely far worse! Sounds snidey and nasty.

Oh him? He functions at the level of a four year old.

Has the mental age of a four year old sounds much more positive. It sounds like they can do everything children can do up to that age. Rather than showing off the gap from say 12 to 4 of 8yrs.

Having a four year old I clearly see a big difference.

It is a useful saying though - not sure what the better alternative is.

I recall the recently reported court case of the man banned from living with his wife. The fact she had a mental age of 4 and had no idea how the babies got in her 'tummy' made it clear why court action was being taken against him. If the report had simply said a lady with learning difficulties it would have seemed a very harsh decision.

My DD has Moderate LDs, has GCSE's, is at a Main Stream Collage, but can't fully self care, has poor literacy skills and communication issues, yet she works in Costa (and not as a token Disabled employee)

Does your DD have a learning disability (IQ below 70, onset prior to the age of 18 - NICE guidelines) or a learning difficulty? It might sound like semantics but it really isn't. Learning difficulties covers a wide range of conditions (autism, dyspraxia etc.) whereas learning disability has a clearly defined medical definition.

Functions at the level of?!?! Fucking kidding me! That's surely far worse! Sounds snidey and nasty.

Nothing snidey or nasty about it at all. It means that they have the intellectual, emotional and social level of a (insert age) year old. You might prefer the term 'has a mental age of' but clearly others like the OP feel that it is an inappropriate term. Lots of people hate the term mental health because the word mental has negative connotations, doesn't mean people should use it.

I disagree, dixie. I would know that 'learning disabilities' plus the decision of the Court meant that she was vulnerable in such a way as to make it essential that he be removed. Her 'mental age' is superfluous.

It's been thought provoking to hear other people's perspectives on this. I think dixiechick1975 raises an interesting point, I don't know the details of that case you cite, it sounds very distressing and clearly raises safeguarding issues. However I think one of the problematic aspects of using mental age is that it compares people with learning disabilities to children which makes invariably makes any mention of sexuality sound wrong and labels them as asexual.

It's unhelpful because it doesn't give people a clear understanding of a person's abilities. And because an adult simply isn't the same as a child, even with LDs. Also, what 7 yo are we talking about? Every 7 yo I know/knew Has different strengths and weaknesses.

It's a lazy shorthand, IMO and yes, the newspapers should be reporting to a slightly higher standard than that.

YANBU , I too read the article and didn't like the context in which it was used, seemed disrespectful in some way.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/man-banned-from-taking-wife-with-mental-age-of-between-four-and-eight-out-of-care-facility-to-have-sex-with-her-9933651.html

Link to the case I mentioned.

What would be wrong with substituting 'without the capacity for consent' for 'mental age' in that article?

I've used that phrase to describe my sister for years, as I was told to by my family, professionals etc. It helps people understand I think, if someone looks a bit confused at her carrying twenty teddies and a frozen back back for example I might explain she's autistic, she looks like she's twenty two but she's got the mental age of eleven or twelve. I've never found it offensive, neither has sister as that's how she feels herself.

My friend however was horrified - he is training to be a social worker - and told me it was a highly offensive term and that my sister is an adult and should be refered to as such, cognitively impaired or not..

Even learning difficulty and learning disability is a confusing term. I work for the nhs and I've been told a learning difficulty is a catch all term for non specific diagnosis for cognitive impairment/delay, learning disability is an disability that affects the ability to learn, specific learning difficulties refers to dyspraxia, dysgraphia, etc.

I'm dyspraxic and I'd never say I have a learning difficulty.

YANBU

When I trained as an OT in the 90s, use of the term 'mental age' was considered bang out of order even then. Apart from anything else, it's completely non-specific. If an adult has 'the mental age of a six year old', what kind of six year old are we talking? An independently reading one, adept at basic self care? Or one who is still sounding out words slowly and needs help with shoe-tying? Both are examples of NT six year olds. Additionally, it discounts the attributes of an individual which may be entirely age-appropriate, by giving an umbrella 'mental age'. Some adults with ASD may be incapable of sustaining friendships, but be totally fine managing basic finances.

When I worked in paediatrics, however, parents always wanted to know what their child's 'mental age' was, and some HCPs would oblige with a number pulled from the air as it helped them quantify what was going on with their child in layman's terms, no matter how inaccurate.