Myths & Facts |
| Myth |
Fact |
| Mental disability is a contagious disease. |
It is NOT a disease. People are usually born with an intellectual disability.
There is no way that you can catch it just by sitting next to someone!
What is dangerous is these people's ignorance.
|
| Intellectually disabled people are insane or mentally ill. |
Intellectually disabled people are not mentally ill. The mentally ill are normal people who are emotionally disturbed because of certain experiences. Like a cold, their sickness can be treated.
The intellectually disabled however, do not develop normally and they have limited thinking abilities as a result.
They cannot be treated but they can be trained to become as independent and behave as appropriately as their abilities allow.
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| The intellectually disabled are always a burden on society. They require others to care for them all the time. |
They may not be totally independent but can learn to do simple household chores or bathe themselves.
Very often parents think they are helping them by doing everything for them. But they hinder their learning process like this.
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| The intellectually disabled can never join in normal activities or be part of the community. |
The intellectually disabled can take part in all activities if people allow them to.
There was a case where the parents of one intellectually disabled girl banished her to the toilet all her life.
Now in her mid-twenties, she attends one of our training and development centres and is learning to interact with everyone there.
Had she been brought in earlier, much could have been done to make her independent and more skillful socially. |
| The intellectually disabled cannot work. They are unproductive. |
Some learn vocational skills and can even become part of the work force. It is merely a question of proper job matching and job training.
Minds has matched countless clients to suitable jobs.
Holiday Inn Parkview for example employs many in their laundry and housekeeping departments.
The woman in charge of them is very patient. They like her so much they do a wonderful job there just to please her. |
| The intellectually disabled don't have feelings. |
Intellectually disabled people have emotional needs just like other people.
They can experience happiness, disappointment and fall in love.
They feel hurt when people make fun of them.
In the USA, there are intellectually disabled people who are married to each other. They do menial jobs to earn a living and even have children.
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Myths & Facts
