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?

should It does cause an endless amount of confusion

I also work for the NHS within a learning disability team. We have had referrals for people with autism (learning difficulties) who have passed their driving test, obtained GCSE's/A levels and have full-time jobs. The fact that their Mum has to tie their shoe laces and remind them to clean their teeth does not make them learning disabled.

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142/chapter/glossary#functional-analysis

Learning disability

Lower intellectual ability (usually defined as an IQ of less than 70) that leads to problems in learning, developing new skills, communication and carrying out daily activities.

Learning disability severities are defined by the following IQ scores: mild=50–69
moderate=35–49
severe=20–34.

A person with a mild to moderate learning disability may only need support in certain areas. However, a person with a moderate to severe learning disability may have no speech or limited communication, a significantly reduced ability to learn new skills and require support with daily activities such as dressing and eating.

Learning disabilities are different from 'learning difficulties', like dyslexia, which do not affect intellect.'.

A reader who is not from the UK would not necessarily know that "learning disabilities" would mean a level of functioning that would require court action and removal. For example, in the US "learning disability" means what people in the UK usually refer to as "learning difficulty."

I don't think it's useful.

A close relative could be described as having the mental age of a 2 year old, except that this misses the point completely. There are many things my two year old can do which he can't, like speak and use the toilet.

He's not two, he's 35. It's inaccurate to suggest he has the maturity of a 2 year old because in many ways he's much more mature than that. He likes snooker and the pub.

There are too many different strands to a person to be able to slap an age on all of it and say "4!"

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

That's exactly how it should have been described but - as evidenced by the Ched Evans rape case - a lot of people have a real problem with understanding capacity/consent. Saying that someone has the mental age of a 4 year old spells it out as only the most perverse would think a 4 year old could consent to sex/marriage/pregnancy.

People with LDs can't be so easily labeled.

Thank you Birds, a very valid point I hadn't thought of (but should have).

I use the term when describing my son who's a young man of 24 and not because he's had any test done that would label him as such. Im his mum, I know what level he lives at depending on the circumstances and as well as saying he has a mental age of 7 for e.g., I will also say he functions at ......

Other days I might liken him to a patchwork quilt with the frame of the quilt being made up of fabric thats 24 years old with the patchwork making up the quilt consisting of fabric of varying ages.

And if its going to make it really easy to explain about him to someone perhaps because of a language barrier I also say is he is mentally handicapped.

What do I think of the term 'mental age of'? Well, I dont really think of it at all because Im more inclined to judge the people around my son by how they interact with him.

As for It's infantilising and contributes, IMO, to the mistreatment of people with learning disabilities.

My son has led a wonderful life surrounded by family, and latterly, a team of home based carers who love him. Our day revolves around making it the best one possible for him to have despite his awful difficulties. His life consists of nothing but kindness and acceptance within the community and if any one around him wanted to say 'he has a mental age of ' they are more than welcome to if its helping them to understand my son.

I usually say severe learning difficulties. If people don't understand that I say he has the understanding of a 18 month old.

The problem is a lot of people do not get how severe, severe learning difficulties can be. I don't think of my son as being 18 months old.

I dont think its offensive per se, but assuming we're talking primarily about intellectual disability, it can be unhelpful because the things PWLD struggle with are so specific and not necessarily directly related to IQ (or at least are not consistent). So for example, I knew one man who could work out change quite reliably, and another man, who despite having a higher intellectual ability in theory, definitely couldn't cope with money (not really able to conceptualise x coin being worth more or less than y coin). However, his ability to self-care was much better than the first man. That said, "functions as" isnt that helpful either in this scenario.

My son is 11 and has the mental age of a 2 and a half year old although without some nt functions like shared experiences and understanding of others needs at a 2.5 nt level. I find it an easy way to describe my ds's autism. It doesn't offend me at all tbh.

I have two family members who have severe learning disabilities, they both have quite complex needs and are very different to other family members of a similar age (they are both young adults). I've always found it useful to think of my niece as being (roughly) at the developmental level of a toddler, it helps me think about her needs and the level of awareness I need to have when I'm with her to think back to when my two were small. My nephew I think about as a disabled adult, his disabilities are very different, and it wouldn't be helpful I think to identify an age that he resembled (although he does very much enjoy children's TV shows and possibly woudl love to visit Legoland).

So I think sometimes it can be a useful way to think and sometimes not. Important not to define anyone by their disabilities though.

My son actually has asd and severe and complex needs. Because of the severity of his asd it is difficult to assess what his intellectual ability is. He doesn't understand that he shouldn't run in the road or put his hands in a fire and at the moment it is impossible to explain to him why.

My brother is 40 and has a mental age of three.

Tbh I get sad that he never had anything resembling a 'normal' life or something as basic as a 'friend' or the ability to articulate a sentence, but has 10000 Thomas the Tank Engine trains. He is not expected to live another decade and is apparently 'lucky' to have lived thus far.

In his case, 'mental age' is descriptive and I can't imagine getting bothered about it. Other things to focus on, like not forgetting any of the approximately forty million tablets he has to have every day.

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

I have to agree with FightorFlight in that the rapist Ched Evan's publicity clearly shows that the issue of consent is quite murky to many members of the public (sadly).

I don't generally have a huge problem with "mental age" or "functions at a level of..." although I understand if some do.

Ched Evans and my son being spoken of in the same thread - not that is bloody offensive