The American Association on Mental Deficiency (AAMD), now American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) definition of mental retardation emphasizes which of the following?
A. An IQ level that must be below 50
B. Cognitive impairment occurring after age 22 years
C. Deficits in adaptive behavior with intellectual impairment
D. No responsiveness to contact
Correct Answer: C. Deficits in adaptive behavior with intellectual impairment.
Mental retardation is part of a broad category of developmental disability and is defined by the American Association of Mental Deficiency as “significantly subaverage, general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period (18 years of age).”
Option A: IQ of 70 or below is considered significantly subaverage intellectual functioning. One way to measure intellectual functioning is an IQ test. Generally, an IQ test score of around 70 or as high as 75 indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.
Option B: Cognitive impairment isn’t part of the definition. However, the definition does state that the impairment or compromise must occur before age 22 years old. This condition is one of several developmental disabilities—that is, there is evidence of the disability during the developmental period, which is defined as before the age of 22.
Option D: But in defining and assessing intellectual disability, the AAIDD stresses that additional factors must be taken into accounts, such as the community environment typical of the individual’s peers and culture. Professionals should also consider linguistic diversity and cultural differences in the way people communicate, move, and behave.