Intellectual Disabilities

Question 1

WHO (1992) definition of intellectual disability

Answer 1

A condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which is especially categorised by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period, which contribute to the overall level of intelligence, i.e. cognitive, language, motor and social abilities

Question 2

APA (2013) definition of intellectual disability

Answer 2

Deficits in intellectual functions
Deficits in adaptive functioning that result in failure to meet developmental and socio-cultural standards for personal independence and social responsibility. Without ongoing support, the adaptive deficits limit functioning in one or more activities in daily life, such as communication, social participation and independent living across multiple environments
Onset of intellectual and adaptive deficits during the developmental period

Question 3

Diagnostic systems are based on what three criteria

Answer 3

Significant limitation in intellectual functioning

Significant limitations in adaptive behaviour

Acquired before adulthood

Question 4

Statistical theory of intellectual disability

Answer 4

Based on the normal curve

95. 44% have IQ scores between 70 and 130 (average IQ)
96. 27% have IQ below 70 (mild retardation)
97. 27% have IQ above 130 (gifted)

Question 5

Change in definition of significant impairment of intelligence

Answer 5

1973 went from 1 SD below population mean to 2 SDs below population mean

Question 6

How is intellectual disability different from a learning difficulty?

Answer 6

Someone with an intellectual disability has an IQ of less than 70

Someone with a learning difficulty has an IQ of over 70 but has a specific learning problem
E.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia

Question 7

Weshler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

Answer 7

Take a brief history of the person

• why do you think you have an intellectual disability?
• developmental milestones
• motor delay
• sensory impairments
• where did they go to school?
• did they have support?
• illnesses
• injuries

10 subtests

Version for children

Question 8

Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale

Answer 8

Half an hour to administer

Done with carer as people might exaggerate what they can do for themselves due to embarrassment

3 parts for each of conceptual, social and practical

Assesses functioning such as cooking, going to the toilet, socialising, getting on public transport

Question 9

Assessment for intellectual disability

Answer 9

Assessed in the following categories

Diagnostic 
Mental health 
Challenging behaviour 
Neurophysiological 
Autism 
Capacity 
Parenting skills 
Risk and forensic risk

Question 10

Why is diagnosis important?

Answer 10

Provides access to services and support

Benefits and entitlements

Protection by law
- sexual offences act, person with an intellectual disability is unable to consent

Mitigation
- protection from the death penalty in America

Understanding

Question 11

Population estimates based on normal curve

Answer 11

2.27% prevalence

Question 12

Case registers prevalence

Answer 12

0.5% - 1%

Question 13

Why is there a missing population of intellectual disability?

Answer 13

Sometimes people go their whole life being supported by a parent or partner and therefore their disability goes unnoticed as such

These people sometimes pop up in their 40s or 50s due to the death of a parent or partner

Question 14

Causes of intellectual disability

Answer 14

Mostly unknown - just part of the normal curve

Some people have genetic causes

Oxygen starvation at birth

Head injuries

Infections like rubella in the womb

Question 15

What is Down’s syndrome?

Answer 15

Trisomy 21

Can cause severe intellectual disability

Can develop dementia before age 30 so need to be monitored

Question 16

When the disability is severe or profound there is usually a known cause

Answer 16

Prenatal/genetic = 50% 
Perinatal = 20% 
Postnatal = 10% 
Unknown = 20%

Question 17

Role of clinical psychologist in intellectual disability

Answer 17

Perform diagnostic assessment

Assess behaviour and mental health
- People with ID suffer the same range of mental health problems as the rest of the population

Assessment of support needs

Service design

• What service does this person need?
• Conflict with architects, put locally based hospital units all on same field, made a hospital, this is not helpful

Provision of psychological interventions

Look at experiences of people with ID

Look at the way society perceives people with ID