Gender

More males than females are identified as having mild mental retardation. This could be due to a variety of factors:

• genetic and causes of mental retardation are more often associated with the X chromosomes, of which males have two.
• there are differing expectations for males and females in our culture (boys are traditionally more aggressive than females, a prime variable for identification)
• males are expected to demonstrate greater self-sufficiency than females. Therefore, any deficit in adaptive behaviors would be more noticeable.

Communities

Children who live in urban settings (cities and especially inner cities) are more likely to be identified as having mental retardation. Urban life may be more complex (hence more difficult), the school system may not be as effective as non-urban schools, there may be higher levels of toxins in cities, or there may be some other factor that creates this disparity.

Socioeconomic Level

Children born in families below the poverty line are more likely to be identified as having mild mental retardation. Interestingly, the prevalence of mild mental retardation increases as socioeconomic factors are more pronounced.