Question

Discuss the DSM-5 criteria for intellectual disability and the controversy regarding descriptions of the different levels of this disorder

Answer 1

According to DSM-V, Intellectual disability involves impairments of general mental abilities that impact adaptive functioning in three domains.

1. The conceptual domain includes skills in language, reading, writing, math, reasoning, knowledge, and memory
2. The social domain refers to empathy, social judgment, interpersonal communication skills, the ability to make and retain friendships, and similar capacities
3. The practical domain centers on self-management in areas such as personal care, job responsibilities, money management, recreation, and organizing school and work tasks.

Intellectual disability must begin during the developmental period and does not have a specific age range. The different levels of severity are mild, moderate, severe and profound.

DSM-V is not defined by psychometric test score alone. In other words Intellectual Disability is not

defined solely by low full scale IQ score on IQ test (i.e., IQ ? 70). In practice, many clinicians do not assess

adaptive functioning (or discount it) if the full scale IQ score was 70-75 or higher.