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9 Clinical Characteristics of Intellectual Disabilities
Pages 169-178

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From page 169...
... has been defined by significant cognitive deficits -- which has been established through a standardized measure of intelligence, in particular, with an IQ score of below 70 (two standard deviations below the mean of 100 in the population) -- and also by significant deficits in functional and adaptive skills.
From page 170...
... The DSM-IV definition included impairments of general mental abilities that affect how a person functions in conceptual, social, and daily life areas. DSM-5 abandoned specific IQ scores as a diagnostic criterion, although it retained the general notion of functioning two or more standard deviations below the general population.
From page 171...
... Severe 3.5% Approximate IQ Requires daily Extensive support A valid verbal, performance, or range 20–35 assistance with self- needed for daily full-scale IQ of 59 or less care activities and activities. safety supervision.
From page 172...
... The SIS evaluates the support needs of an individual across 49 life activities, divided into six categories: home living, community living, life-long learning, employment, health and safety, and social activities. DSM-5 notes that intellectual functioning reflects several different components: verbal comprehension, working memory, perceptual reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract thought, and cognitive efficacy (APA, 2013)
From page 173...
... These children often have dysmorphic features and associated medical conditions and higher rates of behavioral and psychiatric disturbances. Individuals with severe intellectual disability may show delayed motor, language, and social accomplishments within the first 2 years of life.
From page 174...
... . Boyle and colleagues reported that in the United States between 1997 and 2008, the prevalence of ID among children below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL)
From page 175...
... . Gillberg and colleagues reported that 57 percent of subjects with mild and severe "mental retardation" met diagnostic criteria for affective, anxiety, conduct, schizophrenia, and somatoform disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
From page 176...
... These disorders frequently respond to standard psychiatric treatment, i.e., medication and psychosocial support, although in the main ID makes treatment more complex. FINDINGS • Historically, intellectual disability has been defined by significant cognitive deficits, typically established by the testing of IQ and adaptive behaviors.
From page 177...
... 1996. Prevalence of selected developmental disabilities in chil dren 3–10 years of age: The metropolitan Atlanta developmental disabilities surveillance program, 1991.
From page 178...
... 2010. Updated national birth prevalence estimates for selected birth defects in the United States, 2004–2006.


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