Intellectual disability (formerly mental retardation)

Defining Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability, previously known in the literature as mental retardation, is a disorder that begins during the developmental period.

This condition includes limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior in the conceptual, social, and practical domains.

It is considered a general impairment of cognitive processes that prevents the individual from performing the tasks expected for their developmental age.

Individuals with this condition present a decrease in the pace and speed of their development, which compromises their cognitive integrity and their ability to adapt.

In order to diagnose intellectual disability, three fundamental criteria must be met, which must be evaluated by a team of professionals.

Diagnostic Criteria

The first criterion is deficits in intellectual functions, such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, and judgment.

These deficiencies must be confirmed by both a detailed clinical evaluation and individually administered standardized intelligence tests.

The second criterion refers to deficits in adaptive functioning that result in a failure to meet sociocultural developmental standards.

This difficulty manifests itself in personal independence and social responsibility and limits functioning in activities of daily living such as communication.

Finally, the third criterion establishes that the onset of these deficits, both intellectual and adaptive, must occur during the period of childhood development.

Levels of Severity: Mild and Moderate

Intellectual disability is classified into different levels of severity, which are defined by adaptive functioning and not just by IQ scores.

This classification into levels, ranging from mild to profound, determines the amount and type of support the individual will require.

At the mild level, the individual can learn to read, write, and perform simple calculations, and can achieve significant autonomy and hold down a job.

At the moderate level, the person can learn to speak and recogni