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2. DEFINING INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY The following definition comes from the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, which is one of the most known organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities in the world. Before we try to define intellectual disability, we should know what intellectual functioning (also called intelligence) is. This term refers to general mental capacity, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, and so on. One of the best known and widely used (far from perfect) way to measure intellectual functioning is an IQ test. Generally, an IQ test score of around 70 or as high as 75 indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning. According to the IQ score people with intellectual disability are divided into four groups: mild ID 70-55 (69-50 according to the WHO classification), moderate ID 55-40 (49-35 according to the WHO classification), severe ID 40-25 (34-20 according to the WHO classification) and profound ID 25 and less (< 20 according to the WHO classification). Current trend is broadening the definition not to assess the intellectually impaired only according to IQ score. Standardized tests can also determine limitations in adaptive behavior, which comprises three skill types: Conceptual skills—language and literacy; money, time, and number concepts; and self-direction than Social skills—interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naïveté (i.e., wariness), social problem solving, and the ability to follow rules/obey laws and to avoid being victimized and Practical skills—activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills, healthcare, travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety, use of money, use of the telephone. On the basis of multi-professional evaluations, the team can determine whether an individual has an intellectual disability and can tailor a support plan for each individual. But in defining and assessing intellectual disability professionals must take additional factors into account, such as the community environment typical of the individual’s peers and culture. Causal factors related with intellectual disability are multiples and can be classified as follows: Genetic, acquired (congenital and developmental), environmental and sociocultural. In the Czech Republic, we often use other ways of defining intellectual disability. You can often come around the term Mental Retardation, which is the official term used by the World Health Organization and the International Classification of Deceases (ICD-10). Influenced by the medical tradition and concepts, the term Mental Retardation is also used in Special Education.
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