Comprehensive exams for Mental Health Q 186
Kitty, a 9-year-old child has a very limited vocabulary and interaction skills. She has an I.Q. of 45. She is diagnosed to have Mental retardation of this classification:
A. Profound
B. Mild
C. Moderate
D. Severe
Correct Answer: C. Moderate
The child with moderate mental retardation has an I.Q. of 35- 50. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the diagnosis of intellectual disability requires deficits in intellectual function, deficits in adaptive function, and onset before the age of 18. The IQ test is widely used to assess the intellectual function of individuals. IQ test derives from Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, used for school placement in France.
Option A: Profound Mental retardation has an I.Q. of below 20. Lewis Terman adapted the test to measure general intelligence. Scores were reported as “mental age” divided by chronological age, multiplied by 100. The current version of the IQ test is standardized, and two standard deviations below the test taker’s group are calculated as IQ of 70. An IQ of 70 or below suggests an intellectual disability diagnosis.
Option B: Mild mental retardation has an I.Q. of 50-70. However, it is no longer a standard to classify intellectual disability by IQ score alone. For instance, if an individual has IQ below 70, but has a good adaptive function, the subject does not have an intellectual disability. On the other side, individuals with a normal, or even higher than normal IQ, may manifest severe deficits in adaptive functions and are, therefore, classified as having an intellectual disability.
Option D: Severe mental retardation has an I.Q. of 20-35. In turn, the current diagnosis of intellectual disability also considers a person’s adaptive function. The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System can measure adaptive function. It encompasses the social and practical domain. Adaptive function measures ability in communication, social participation, and independent living.