There has been considerable work recently to redefine the concept of mental retardation. The definition of mental retardation before 1992 focused on a deficiency model, indicating that those with below average intelligence, or intelligence below an IQ of 70, were mentally retarded. The new definition, developed by the American Association of Mental Retardation emphasizes adaptive skills and support needs instead. At the same time, it does not raise the IQ limit nor does it eliminate it. Instead, it expands the way that people think about
mental retardation in order to create a new support model. In order to diagnose a child as mentally retarded, a three-step process is followed in which functional strengths and weaknesses are identified by using 4 different dimensions and 10 adaptive-skill areas. This provides a much more useful understanding of the child's capacities and limitations. However, this new definition is not widely accepted yet, even though it promises to alter socio-cultural perceptions and provide a more nuanced perspective on retardation (Fredericks and Williams, 1998).
Essentially it creates a classification system that has three aspects to it. A diagnosis of mental retardation is used if the person meets the three criteria of age of onset of 18 or under, subaverage abilities in intelliectual
functioning, and other limitations in two or more adaptive skills areas. In addition, the person's strengths and weaknesses are described in terms of intellectual functioning, adaptive skills, psychological and emotional
well-being, health, physical well-being, etiology, and life activity environments. Finally, a profile of essential support systems is created for these four dimensions (Schalock et al., 1994).
There have been many criticisms of this new definition, some indicating that it would actually expand the population close to the cut-off line for being defined
as mentally retarded. Other cri...