What do you think

1
What do you think?

• There have always been persons with mental
  retardation. (T/F)
• We have always understood these individuals as
  having mental retardation. (T/F)
• We have always been able to measure intelligence.
  (T/F)
• Intelligence is a well-defined construct. (T/F)
• What is a construct? How is intelligence a
  construct?
• What three perspectives can be used to define
  mental retardation?

2
Construct

• A term applied to an abstract set of qualities or
  characteristics
• that go together to make up a particular
  phenomenon
• Prepared teacher
• Successful adult
• Intelligence

3
1983 Definition of Mental Retardation

• Mental retardation refers to significantly
  subaverage general intellectual functioning
  existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive
  behavior and manifested during the developmental
  period (Grossman, 1983)

4
1992 Definition

• More functional in nature
• Interaction among three major dimensions
• Persons capabilities
• Environments in which the person functions
• Need for varying levels of support

5
Assumptions

• Valid assessment considers
• Cultural diversity
• Linguistic diversity
• Communication factors
• Behavioral factors
• Adaptive skills within context of community
  environments typical of same age peers
• Adaptive limitations coexist with strengths
• With supports, life functioning will improve

6
Three Step Process Step One

• Intellectual functioning
• Approximately 70-75 or below

• Adaptive behavior
• Significant disabilities in two or more areas
• communication
• self-care
• home living
• social skills
• community use
• self-direction health safety
• functional academics
• leisure
• work

7
Three Step Process Step 2

• Individuals strengths and weaknesses
• Physical health/conditions etiology
• Current environmental placement optimal
  environment that will facilitate growth
  development

8
Three Step Process Step 3

• Identify kind and intensities of supports for
  each of four dimensions
• Intellectual functioning adaptive skills
• Psychological/emotional considerations
• Physical health/etiology consideration
• Environmental considerations

9
Levels of Support

• Supports on an as needed basis
• Episodic
• Limited
• Consistency over time, time-limited but not
  intermittent

• Extensive
• Regular involvement in at least some enviornments
• Not time limited
• Pervasive
• Constant
• High intensity
• Across environments