First, medical intervention.

(1) Symptomatic treatment Some patients with mental retardation should be given corresponding symptomatic treatment. For example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be treated with drugs such as ritalin, TIC disorder can be treated with drugs such as tiapride, epilepsy can be treated with antiepileptic drugs, people with joint contracture and increased muscle tension need physical therapy, people with limb deformity and motor dysfunction need plastic and orthopedic surgery, those with abnormal vocal organs need orthopedic surgery in stomatology and otorhinolaryngology, those with amblyopia need glasses, and those with hearing impairment need to wear hearing AIDS as soon as possible.

(2) Etiological treatment Most mental retardation cannot be treated by etiology, but only some hereditary metabolic diseases such as phenylketonuria, galactosemia and congenital hypothyroidism can be found, diagnosed and treated early. Phenylketonuria should be treated with low phenylalanine diet as soon as possible. The treatment of galactosemia is to stop dairy food as soon as possible and replace it with starchy food such as rice flour and flour. Congenital hypothyroidism should be treated with thyroxine for life soon after birth.

(3) Drug therapy Up to now, no specific drug that can be used to improve intelligence has been found. In recent years, the application of cerebrolysin and nerve growth factor, acupoint injection of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatment, according to research, can promote the functional development of brain cells, which may have a certain effect on enhancing intelligence.

(4) Gene therapy has broad prospects for some monogenic metabolic diseases. Research work in this field has been carried out abroad, but there are still some problems in gene therapy, such as the preparation of exogenous target genes, the way of gene introduction into target cells and the regulation of gene expression. With the in-depth study of genetic engineering and post-human genome project, gene therapy for mental retardation patients will become possible.

Second, educational intervention.

Educational intervention is the main treatment for mental retardation, following the principle of grading patients with mental retardation according to their severity, from simple to complex, from easy to difficult, and carrying out planned and step-by-step training and education. For patients with mild to moderate mental retardation, focus on training their labor skills to achieve self-reliance. Most patients with mild mental retardation can live a life close to normal as adults, especially those with mild social and cultural mental retardation. After early education intervention, they can reach the intelligence and adaptability of normal people. For patients with severe and extremely severe mental retardation, we should focus on cultivating their self-care ability and teaching them simple hygiene habits and basic living ability. Community rehabilitation should include community-specific training and special education, and special targeted training such as language, sports or hearing impairment can be carried out in rehabilitation centers to correct and compensate their physical defects.