around like a constant sidekick. Rick was always quoting scripture to Ron, and sharing a well-worn issue of The Plain Truth with him. Rick, too, was physically challenged, but I don't know the nature of his problem. It seemed to be mild retardation with a physical handicap. Rick was tall and skinny, and was absent much of the time due to sickness.
Although I felt awkward around both Ron and Rick, I accepted them as part of the school day. I always thought it was amusing that they got better grades in school than most people of average intelligence. For one thing, Ron was always studying. His father was a physics professor, and probably insisted that Ron overcome his handicaps. Rick's father was a minister, as one might expect.
Ron and Rick were part of the school just as much as any of us were. The other students and staff accommodated their differences, save for some occasional joking around. Theirs were mild retardation handicaps, and they were in regular classes. The teachers may have cut them some slack, or they may have gotten some extra resource help. I'm not sure. At any rate, I was always amazed at how well they did school-wise, given that they were working to overcome some obstacles.
Some information which has helped to increase my understanding of mentally and physically challenged people follows. Much of it has to do with the public educational system, and the extent to which even more-than-mildly retarded people are accommodated in order to allow them to fit into the mainstream.
Retarded people vary from the general population in degrees of normalcy. Those who are institutionalized will of course require more care than those who live more independent lives; however, both institutionalized and non-institutionalized retarded people can assume lives approaching the average if they are given guidance and support.
The biggest normative influence in the United States is the public educational ...