Mild Mental Retardation, Research Paper Example

Patterns of intellectual, adaptive, and behavioral functioning in individuals with mild mental retardation

In order to provide specific type of support needed for every individual diagnosed with mild mental retardation (MIMD), it is important to identify certain subtypes in the heterogeneous population of people with MIMD, basing the classification not only on the intelligent quotient (IQ) criterion, but on the levels of intellectual, adaptive and behavioral functioning as well. That was the main aim of the conducted research which studied seventy three individuals referred to MIMD facilities in the province of South Holland.

In the beginning it is important to point out that the IQ criterion is not enough nowadays to prove the validity of MIMD. That is why, in the latest definition of mental retardation, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) emphasized that more criteria in addition to IQ are important and necessary. Mental retardation was redefined as a multidimensional construct based on the dimensions of intellectual abilities, adaptive behavior, participation, interactions and social roles, health and context (Luckasson, R., Borthwick-Duffy, S., Buntinx, W., Coulter, D., Craig, E., Reeve, A., 2002). In the conducted research three dimensions were covered: intellectual, adaptive and behavioral – as previous studies, conducted, for example, by Fletcher, Scott, Deuel, & Jean-Francois (1999) or Dekker, Koot, van der Ende, & Verhulst (2002), showed that there is considerable variation in the above-mentioned perspectives of functioning among individuals with MIMR.

When conducting the whole research process, intellectual functioning of the children was assessed using the Dutch version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third edition WISC-III (Wechsler, D. 1974). For individuals older than 16 years the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults, revised, WAIS-R or the third edition, WAIS-III was used. The interview edition of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) was administered to assess the individual’s adaptive functioning, while the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication disorders (DISCO) was administered to measure behavioral functioning. All data were entered into SPSS 12.0.1. An agglomerative hierarchical cluster-analytic technique was used to identify potential subgroups of individuals with similar profiles.

As a result four clusters of individuals have been defined. Clusters 1 and 3 were identified with a number of behaviors that are characteristic of personality disorders, whereas clusters 2 and 4 displayed especially developmental disorders. Individuals in clusters 1 and 3 had a higher mean total adaptive developmental age compared to those in clusters 2 and 4. However, in clusters 1 and 4 individuals experienced externalizing behavioral problems, while in cluster 2 and 3 especially internalizing behavioral problems were shown.

The conducted research was important for a couple of reasons. First of all, it supported the idea that various dimensions, apart from the IQ criterion, should be taken in consideration when working with individuals diagnosed with MIMD. Secondly, a multidimensional perspective as proposed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was used by integrating information on three dimensions: intellectual, adaptive and behavioral functioning. Thirdly, as a result of the above-mentioned discoveries, various diagnostic options can be proposed to MIMD people. However, it is also important to keep in mind that due to such factors as a small size of the sample, its particular location and the possibility of American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities adding new dimensions in the analysis, more research is needed to validate the subtypes found in this study and to explore the possible existence of other subtypes.

Reference

Dekker, M. C., Koot, H. M., van der Ende, J., & Verhulst, F. C. (2002). Emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with and without intellectual disability. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43, 1087–1098.

Fletcher, K. L., Scott, M. S., Deuel, L. S., & Jean-Francois, B. J. (1999). A comparison of the cognitive abilities of young children with mild mental retardation or learning disabilities. In Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. Eds. Advances in learning and behavioral

disabilities. Vol. 13 (pp.65–93). Stamford, CT: JAI Press.

Luckasson, R., Borthwick-Duffy, S., Buntinx, W., Coulter, D., Craig, E., Reeve, A., et al.  (2002). Mental retardation: Definition, classification, and systems of supports (10th ed.). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.

The Research in Developmental Disabilities Journal, volume 30, Issue 3, MAY-June2009 Pages 433-444

Wechsler, D. (1974). Manual for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised. New York: The Psychological Corporation.