Chapter 5. Intellectual Disability

Question 1

Adaptive functioning

Answer 1

A person’s ability to cope with common life demands and meet the standards of independence expected of someone in their particular age group and social–cultural background

Question 2

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)

Answer 2

The oldest professional organization devoted to the study and assistance of individuals
with ID

Question 3

Amniocentesis

Answer 3

A procedure to screen for developmental disabilities at 15 to 20 weeks of gestation; involves collecting amniotic fluid from the mother

Question 4

Angelman syndrome

Answer 4

A genetic disorder caused by missing maternal genetic material on chromosome 15; associated with moderate to severe ID, sporadic/jerky motor movements, lack of spoken language, hyperactivity, and persistent social smile

Question 5

Applied behavior analysis (ABA)

Answer 5

A scientific approach to identifying a child’s problematic behavior, determining its causes, and altering environmental contingencies to change it

Question 6

Behavioral phenotype

Answer 6

Characteristic features (e.g., appearance, cognitive strengths/weaknesses, comorbid disorders) associated with specific causes for ID

Question 7

Challenging behavior

Answer 7

Actions shown by some youths with ID that are physically hazardous or that limit their access to educational or social opportunities

Question 8

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

Answer 8

A technique to screen for developmental disabilities at 8 to 12 weeks of gestation; involves collecting tissue that connects the placenta to the wall of the uterus

Question 9

Chromosomal microarray

Answer 9

A genetic test that identifies copy number variants (i.e., unusual duplications or deletions) in major regions of the genome; used to identify causes of GDD

Question 10

Cultural-familial ID

Answer 10

A term used by Zigler to describe children with no identifiable cause for their intellectual and adaptive disabilities; associated with IQ and adaptive functioning scores in the 50 to 70 range, no health problems, and a family history of low intellectual functioning

Question 11

Diagnostic overshadowing

Answer 11

A term used to describe the tendency of some clinicians to overlook the presence of mental disorders in people with ID

Question 12

Differential reinforcement

Answer 12

A form of positive reinforcement in which therapists reinforce only behaviors that are desired, while they ignore unwanted actions

Question 13

DiGeorge syndrome

Answer 13

A genetic disorder caused by deletions on chromosome 22 that cause immune dysfunction; associated with mild to moderate ID, cleft lip/palate, and risk for schizophrenia

Question 14

Down syndrome

Answer 14

Trisomy 21; associated with moderate ID, characteristic appearance, weakness in verbal skills and language, strength in visual–spatial reasoning, and sociability

Question 15

Education for All Handicapped Children Act

Answer 15

Federal law that mandated “free and appropriate public education” for all children with disabilities aged 3 to 18

Question 16

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Answer 16

A disorder caused by maternal alcohol consumption during gestation; characterized by lower intellectual functioning or mild ID, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and characteristic craniofacial anomalies

Question 17

Fragile X syndrome

Answer 17

An inherited, X-linked disorder that adversely affects boys more than girls; characterized by mild to moderate ID, characteristic appearance, strengths in simultaneous processing, weakness in sequential processing, and social anxiety

Question 18

Functional analysis (of behavior)

Answer 18

An assessment strategy in which the clinician attempts to determine the purpose of a problem behavior by identifying antecedents that cause it or consequences that reinforce it over time

Question 19

Global developmental delay (GDD)

Answer 19

A DSM-5 disorder, diagnosed in children younger than 5 years, and characterized by significant delays in several developmental domains (e.g., motor, language, social, or daily living skills)

Question 20

(Academic) Inclusion

Answer 20

A term used to describe the education of children with ID alongside classmates without disabilities for all subjects, usually with the support of a classroom aide

Question 21

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Answer 21

Federal legislation that extended disability rights to infants and toddlers, mandated IFSP for young children and IEPs for school-age children with disabilities

Question 22

Intellectual disability (ID)

Answer 22

A DSM-5 disorder characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior emerging in infancy or early childhood

Question 23

Mainstreaming

Answer 23

Involves placing children with ID in regular-education classrooms to the maximum extent possible

Question 24

Need for support

Answer 24

Assistance that helps an individual with ID function effectively in society; an important component of the AAIDD definition of ID

Question 25

Organic ID

Answer 25

A term used by Zigler to describe children who had identifiable causes for their intellectual and adaptive disabilities; associated with genetic disorders, very low IQ and adaptive functioning, medical complications, and no family history of ID

Question 26

Overcorrection

Answer 26

A form of positive punishment in which the therapist requires the child to correct his problematic behavior by restoring his surroundings to the same (or better) condition than that which existed prior to his disruptive act

Question 27

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Answer 27

A recessive disorder characterized by an inability to break down phenylalanine; adhering to a special diet can prevent severe ID, seizures, and other medical problems

Question 28

Physical aggression

Answer 28

Actions that cause, or can cause, property destruction or injury/harm to another person

Question 29

Planned ignoring

Answer 29

A form of negative punishment in which the therapist or caregiver withdraws attention from the child immediately following an unwanted behavior

Question 30

Positive practice

Answer 30

Usually a form of positive punishment; the therapist makes the child repeatedly practice an acceptable behavior immediately following an unacceptable act; usually paired with overcorrection

Question 31

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS)

Answer 31

A genetic disorder caused by missing paternal genetic material on chromosome 15; associated with mild ID, weakness in short-term memory, strength in visual–spatial reasoning, hyperphagia, and obsessive–compulsive behavior

Question 32

Punishment by contingent stimulation

Answer 32

A form of positive punishment in which a mildly aversive stimulus is presented immediately following a behavior problem; used only as a last resort when other interventions have failed and with parents’ permission

Question 33

Response cost

Answer 33

A form of negative reinforcement; the therapist withdraws tangible reinforcers from the child immediately following a problematic act

Question 34

Rett syndrome

Answer 34

A genetic disorder usually caused by a mutation on a portion of the X chromosome; almost always affects girls; characterized by typical development in early infancy followed by rapid deterioration in social functioning and language, severe ID, and stereotypies

Question 35

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs)

Answer 35

Repetitive movements of the hands, limbs, or head in a manner that can, or does, cause physical harm or damage to the person

Question 36

Serum screening

Answer 36

A blood test conducted between 15 and 18 weeks of gestation to screen for possible developmental disorders in the fetus

Question 37

Similar sequence hypothesis

Answer 37

Posits that children with ID progress through the same cognitive stages as other children, albeit at a slower pace; generally supported by research

Question 38

Similar structure hypothesis

Answer 38

Posits that two children of the same mental age (one with ID and the other without ID) will show similar abilities; has mixed research support

Question 39

Stereotypic movement disorder

Answer 39

A DSM-5 disorder characterized by repetitive and uncontrolled movements with no apparent purpose for a period of 4 or more weeks

Question 40

Stereotypies

Answer 40

Actions performed in a consistent, rigid, and repetitive manner and that have no immediate, practical significance

Question 41

Time out (from positive reinforcement)

Answer 41

A form of negative reinforcement; the therapist limits the child’s access to positive reinforcers (e.g., attention, toys) for a certain period of time, usually by placing the child in a specific setting

Question 42

TORCH

Answer 42

An acronym that represents the main maternal illnesses that can cause ID in offspring: toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus type 2

Question 43

Universal design

Answer 43

An educational practice that involves creating instructional materials and activities that allow learning goals to be achievable by children with different abilities and skills

Question 44

Williams syndrome (WS)

Answer 44

A genetic disorder caused by deletions on chromosome 7; associated with mild ID, well-developed spoken language, strengths in auditory memory, weakness in visual–spatial reasoning, hyperactivity, anxiety, and friendly/social demeanor