Reconsidering the construct of mental retardation: implications of a model of social competence.
A historical overview of efforts to integrate social competence into a definition of mental retardation was provided. The existing AAMR definition was criticized for its incorporation of a muddled construct of adaptive behavior, which over-emphasizes psychopathology and underemphasizes social intelligence. A model of general competence was presented, and mental retardation was reconceptualized as a condition characterized by deficits in social, practical, and conceptual intelligence. Although such a conceptualization would be an improvement on the current definition, we argued that a definition of mental retardation based on social competence outcomes (i.e., need for support in playing critical social roles) would be preferable to a definition that is still tied too closely to psychometric criteria.
Greenspan
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A. J. Pappanikou Center on Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-2064.
Granfield
J M
JM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D013694:Temperament