Flowers for Algernon was written at a time when the United States was fomulating new definition and ways of treating metally disabled people, a revolution of sorts necessitated by the civil right movement with its acquisition of equal rights for Afican Americans. Tis begged the question of equality for all eople and the tone that Flowers for Algernon conveys is one of understanding and tolerance. This message was reflected by political and social changes of the time. The President's panel on Mental Retardation organised in 1962 eventually declared the General and Specific Rights of the Mentally Retarded in 1968 and replaced the term "retardation" with "developmental disability".
Just For Fun
A common criterion for diagnosis of mental retardation is an IQ of 70 and below. Signs of it includes
- Having trouble speaking
- Finding it hard to remember things
- Have trouble understanding social rules
- Having difficulty discerning cause and effect
- Having trouble thinking logically
- Persistence of infanile behavour
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