Overview of intellectual disability

Intellectual disability is a difficult topic since those with it are typically ostracised, mistreated, and isolated from society.

We've seen offensive names like idiot, moron, and retarded used to describe people. I'll focus on two common definitions. The first definition comes from DSM-5.

This American Psychiatric Association manual describes and defines mental disorders for professionals worldwide. The second definition, which we'll discuss, was created by the AAIDD. We'll be discussing intellectual disabilities and intelligence tests.

 Intellectual disability is a developmental deficit that comprises intellectual and adaptive functioning disorders in conceptual, social, and practical domains. Unpacking this definition reveals a complex disorder.

What's intellectual functioning? DSM-5 says this refers to reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgement, academic learning, and learning from experience.

Clinical assessment and personalised standardised intelligence testing confirm this. The intellectual function is only part of the impairment. Adaptive functioning is failing to satisfy developmental and sociocultural requirements for independence and social responsibility.

Without continued help, adaptation impairments hinder everyday life tasks like communication, social involvement, and independent living at home, school, work, and community.

This means a person with an intellectual disability can only do more with support. Intellectual impairment is defined by considerable restrictions in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, which includes many social and practical abilities. This is related to the DSM-5 concept of intellectual function, adaptive function, and age onset. DSM-5 and AAIDD both define an adaptive function with three dimensions. Conceptual, social, and practical dimensions help us understand what's happening. Language, literacy, money, time, number concepts, and self-direction are conceptual skills.

Social skills include interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naivete, social problem-solving, and the ability to follow rules or obey laws and avoid being victimised.

 Practical skills include daily living activities such as personal care, occupational skills, healthcare, travel, transportation, schedules routine, safety, use of money, and use of the telephone. All these skills can be tested using standardised testing.

Let's discuss intellectual disabilities and intelligence testing.

Definition: Intelligence tests measure intellectual functioning. While these tests are useful in the hands of expert psychologists, we shouldn't lay too much stress on scores for children with severe to profound intellectual disabilities.

 Explanation: First, the intellectual function is part of the diagnostic. Once the only factor, it's now paired with an adaptable function. IQ and adaptive function measure intelligence. IQ testing often overestimates a child's learning potential. This is clear when a 16-year-old is compared to a 3-year-old. No matter their level, 16-year-olds aren't comparable to 3-year-olds. Intelligence and adaptability. It's better to focus on the 16-year-old and the help they need to develop them.

 Third, low IQ values are less dependable and harder to analyse. They help less with child needs. Spending time and effort on an IQ score doesn't always assist enhance a child's skills. With mild intellectual disability, this may be more relevant.

Intelligence tests can be classified as culturally prejudiced. Unstandardized tests can lead to low performance among test-takers. The AAIDD definition includes "additional aspects" beyond intellectual functioning. They emphasise looking at the individual's peers and culture's community context. This includes variances in language, movement, and behavior. They warn against merely looking at a person's disadvantage and say that everyone, regardless of impairment, has strengths to improve on.

The right help can build on these strengths. Our whole-hearted care and support services focus on how to maximise support for people with intellectual disabilities and prepare them for specialised, long-term support. This means we must consider all levels in child-support circles. Intellectual disability isn't just impaired reasoning and learning, though. With help, a person who interacts with others daily can learn and grow.

For more information contact WHCSS:

Email: info@wholeheartedcare.au 

Phone: 1300151618/0416938484