The charts of 101 mentally retarded children were studied to determine how their retardation first came to the attention of their pediatrician. It was found that Speech Delay, Developmental Delay, and School Failure were the three most common parental concerns. Speech Delay accounted for over 50 percent of all referrals of children age 2 to 6 years. A first step to improve accurate evaluation and treatment of mental retardation is to recognize how children ultimately diagnosed as retarded are initially brought to the attention of the pediatrician.
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