Introduction

In the lesson content you will come across some terms in maroon color that are bolded. Look them up in the course Glossary.

Intellectual Disability

Diagnostic criteria for intellectual disability emphasize the need for an assessment of both cognitive capacity (IQ) and adaptive functioning. Severity is determined by adaptive functioning rather than IQ score. The term mental retardation was used in DSM-IV, however, intellectual disability is the term that has come into common use over the past two decades among medical, educational,other professionals, the lay public and advocacy groups. Although intellectual disability is classified as an Axis II disorder in the DSM, it is not considered a mental illness. The classification of intellectual disability is simply a system of distinguishing groups of people who need social support and special educational services to perform tasks of everyday living. There are four levels of intellectual disability, based on functional intelligence (IQ).

  1. Profound intellectual disability - a mental age between 0 and 3.75 years.
  2. Severe intellectual disability- a mental age between 3.75 and 6.0 years
  3. Moderate intellectual disability - a mental age between 6.0 and 8.5 years
  4. Mild Mental intellectual disability - a mental age between 8.5 and 11.0 years Lesson