9 - Assessment of Mental Retardation

Abstract

The diagnosis of mental retardation can have a profound impact on a person's life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) distinguishes four categories of mental retardation based on degrees of severity: mild mental retardation, moderate mental retardation, severe mental retardation, and profound mental retardation. The diagnosis of mental retardation requires documentation that an individual displays diminished levels of intelligence as well as significant deficits in adaptive behavior during the developmental period. Adaptive behavior generally refers to a person's ability to meet the standards of personal behavior and independence expected from peers of their age within their culture. Measures of adaptive behavior typically ask respondents who know the person well to indicate whether the person displays important behaviors associated with a variety of adaptive behaviors. Individuals with mental retardation differ in their adaptive skill strengths and deficits and, except for those with severe and profound levels, are unlikely to show significant deficits in all areas of functioning.