Discuss the DSM-5 criteria for intellectual disability and the controversy regarding descriptions of the different levels of this disorder

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are three criteria for the diagnosis of intellectual disability. The first is significantly subaverage intellectual functioning based on IQ test scores. The second is concurrent deficits or impairments in adaptive functioning, including difficulty in at least two areas such as communication, self-care, home living, social and interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction, academic skills, work, leisure, health, or safety. The third is based on the age of onset, meaning that the disorder must be evident before age 18.
Since the criteria for academic and social function vary based on cultural expectations, intellectual disability, more than other disorders, is defined by the society in which the individual lives. This can make it difficult to label and compare people across cultures, and the classification of intellectual disability is made harder by the fact that people with intellectual disability differ significantly in their degree of disability, even within levels.