What is Adaptive Behavior?
Adaptive behavior is the collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that people have learned so they can function in their everyday lives. Significant limitations in adaptive behavior impact a person’s daily life and affect the ability to respond to a particular situation or to the environment.
Limitations in adaptive behavior can be determined by using standardized tests that are named on the general population including people with disabilities and people without disabilities. On these standardized measures, significant limitations in adaptive behavior are operationally defined as performance that is at least 2 standard deviations below the mean of either
(a) one of the following three types of adaptive behavior conceptual, social or practical or
(b) an overall score on a standardized measure of conceptual, social, and practical skills.
Some specific examples of Adaptive Behavior Skills
Conceptual Skills
Receptive and expressive language
Reading and Writing
Money concepts
Self-directions
Social Skills
Interpersonal
Responsibility
Self-esteem
Gullibility (likelihood of being ticked or manipulated)
Naiveté
Follows rules
Obey laws
Avoids victimization
Practical Skills
Personal activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, mobility and toileting.
Instrumental activities of daily living such as preparing meals, taking medication, using the telephone, managing money, using transportation and doing
Housekeeping activities.
Occupational skills.
Maintaining a safe environment.
Has AAMR always had the same definition of mental retardation?
No. AAMR has updated the definition of mental retardation ten times since 1908. Changes in definition have occurred when there is new information, or there are changes in clinical practice or breakthroughs in scientific research. The 10th edition of Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and systems of supports contains a comprehensive update to the landmark 1992 system and provides important new information, tools and strategies for the field and for anyone concerned about people with Mental Retardation
