Handbook of Positive Psychology in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Springer Series on Child and Family Studies, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-59066-0 14 202 M.J
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Adaptive Behavior 14 Marc J. Tassé Introduction The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is gener- ally considered the leading professional authority Adaptive behavior is defined as behavior that has in defining “intellectual disability.” The AAIDD, been learned and is performed to meet society’s first established in 1876, is the oldest interdisci- expectation across living settings, including the plinary professional association in the field of home, school, work, and other community set- intellectual and developmental disabilities (Tassé tings (Schalock et al., 2010). Adaptive behavior & Grover, 2013). The AAIDD has led the field in is indexed on chronological age because as a establishing the definition and diagnostic criteria society, we have different expectations of all for intellectual disability for over a century. Since members of our community as they age. its first definition of intellectual disability in Adaptive behavior is a required criterion of all 1905, AAIDD has revised its definition 10 times diagnostic systems defining intellectual disability to reflect the changes in research and under- (see American Psychiatric Association, 2000; standing of this condition. The AAIDD definition Schalock et al., 2010; World Health Organization, of intellectual disability has historically been 1992). The American Association on Intellectual adopted by all federal and state governments as and Developmental Disabilities defined adaptive well as the American Psychiatric Association’s behavior as the collection of Conceptual, Social, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in and PracticalSkillsthathavebeenlearned bypeople defining intellectual disability. It was not, how- to function in their everyday lives (Luckasson et al., ever, until the 5th edition of its diagnostic man- 2002; Schalock et al., 2010). The three adaptive ual, that AAIDD required the assessment of behavior skill areas have been defined as follows: adaptive behavior as a criterion for defining (1) conceptual skills consist of communication intellectual disability (Heber, 1959, 1961). skills, functional academics, and self-direction; The American Psychiatric Association has (2) social skills consist of interpersonal skills, historically adopted the AAIDD definition and social responsibility, following rules, self-esteem, diagnostic criteria of mental retardation in its gullibility, naiveté, and avoiding victimization; and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental (3) practical skills consist of basic personal care Disorders. The DSM first included adaptive skills such as hygiene, domestic skills, health and behavior in its diagnostic criteria of intellectual safety as well as work skills. disability in its 2nd edition of the DSM (Ameri- can Psychiatric Association, 1968). In fact, in the DSM-2, the American Psychiatric Association é & M.J. Tass ( ) actually refers the reader to the AAIDD 1961 The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, 1581 fi Dodd Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USA de nition of intellectual disability (see Heber, e-mail: [email protected] 1961) for a fuller definition of intellectual © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 201 K.A. Shogren et al. (eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Springer Series on Child and Family Studies, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-59066-0_14 202 M.J. Tassé disability (see p. 14; DSM-2). In fact, the text in There are a number of studies that have exam- the DSM-2 reads “Mental retardation refers to ined the changes in adaptive functioning among subnormal general intellectual functioning which adults with developmental disabilities after dein- originates during the developmental period and stitutionalization (Felce, deKock, Thomas, & is associated with impairment in either learning Saxby, 1986; Fine, Tangeman, & Woodard, 1990; and social adjustment or maturation, or both” Silverman, Silver, Sersen, Lubin, & Schwartz, (p. 14). The DSM-2 defined adaptive behavior 1986). Consistently, a meaningful positive change using the wording found in Heber (1959), which in adaptive functioning has been reported after defined it as maturation, learning, and social moving from a more institutional living environ- adjustment. The 2002 and 2010 editions of the ment to a less restrictive community setting AAIDD Terminology and Classification Manual (Lakin, Larson, & Kim, 2011). Charlie Lakin and returned to the psychometrically supported his colleagues did a review of the research litera- framework of three adaptive behavior domains, ture that included 23 longitudinal studies pub- including Conceptual, Social and Practical Skills lished between 1977 and 2010 and reported that all (see Luckasson et al., 2002; Schalock et al., but three studies documented adaptive behavior 2010), originally proposed by Heber (1959, improvements when individuals moved to less 1961). Hence, the definition of intellectual dis- restrictive community-based living arrangements. ability and the conceptualization of the adaptive The increase in adaptive behavior was especially behavior construct has not really changed in the marked in the following skill areas: self-care, last 50 years. domestic skills, and social skills. As conceptual constructs, intelligence and adaptive behavior are somewhat related but are Relationship Between clearly distinct from one another (Keith, Fehrmann, Intellectual Functioning Harrison, & Pottebaum, 1987; McGrew & and Adaptive Functioning Bruininks, 1990). Thus, discrepancies in the measurement of intelligence and adaptive One of the forefathers of intelligence testing used behavior are to be expected. Not everyone with the concept of “adaptation” in his definition of significant limitations in intellectual functioning “intelligence” (Binet & Simon, 1905). For a long will have commensurately limited adaptive time and still to this day—the two concepts are behavior and conversely, not everyone with sig- sometimes intertwined but increasingly, the lar- nificant limitations in adaptive behavior will have ger definition of intelligence is much more comparable significant limitations in intellectual focused on mental capabilities and capacity functioning. Due to a wide range of measures for whereas adaptive behavior is much more focused IQ and adaptive functioning, conducting research on the actual performance of skills when needed on children with developmental disabilities and and in response to societal demands and expec- interpreting the results can be challenging. tations. The definition of intelligence adopted by However, some studies have reported a AAIDD (Schalock et al., 2010) comes from the low-to-moderate correlation between the mea- existing consensus position of prominent intelli- sures (Harrison & Oakland, 2015; Sparrow, gence researchers and is defined as follows: Balla, & Ciccheti, 2005). A much small number of studies have (Carpentieri & Morgan, 1996) Intelligence is a very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, demonstrated a high correlation, while others plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend have demonstrated that a larger portion of the complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experi- variance (35%) in adaptive functioning among ence. It is not merely book learning, a narrow academic adults with intellectual disability can be or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings explained by environmental variables other than —‘catching on,’‘making sense’ of things, or ‘figuring intellectual ability (21%; Hull & Thompson, out’ what to do. (Gottfredson, 1997, p. 13). 1980). As a way to examine the relationship 14 Adaptive Behavior 203 between these two constructs, some studies self-direction; communication; socialization; generated tables of values needed for statistical motor; and work). Reflective of the times, the significance between various IQs and adaptive 1936 Vineland scale had items measuring behavior scores. They concluded that a difference the persons use of telephone Doll (1953)defined of at least 10 or more standard points was needed the construct of social competence as “the func- for a statistical difference between two measures tional ability of the human organism for exer- when a 95% confidence level was adopted. They cising personal independence and social concluded that it is not unreasonable to interpret responsibility” (see page 10). Doll’s vision of the IQ-adaptive score discrepancy as indicative assessing social competence (what would later be of a real underlying difference between cognitive called adaptive behavior) remains ingrained in capacity and day-to-day performance. Research today’sdefinition of adaptive behavior and findings have tended to document higher corre- associated standardized measures: “Our task lation between these two constructs in individu- was to measure attainment in social competence als with more severe to profound deficits in considered as habitual performance rather than intellectual functioning than for those who pre- as latent ability or capacity” (see Doll, 1953; sent with milder impairments in intellectual page 5). This interpretation is consistent with functioning (Childs, 1982; Sattler, 2002). AAIDD’s current position that the assessment Information about changes in IQ and adaptive of adaptive behavior focuses on the individual’s measures over time and their relationship to each typical performance and not maximal ability other is useful for diagnosing mental retardation, (see Schalock et al.,