Intellectual Disability

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

   PDF

2. History and Definitions

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 1-19

3. The Concept of Intelligence

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 20-43

4. Measuring Intelligence

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 44-69

5. The Concept and Measurement of Adaptive Behaviour

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 70-89

6. Acquiring a Diagnosis and the Prevalence of Intellectual Disability

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 90-106

7. Causes of Intellectual Disability

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 107-121

8. Problems with the Current Definition

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 122-141

9. Intellectual Disability Reconceptualised and Redefined

   • Simon Whitaker

   Pages 142-169

10. Back Matter

    Pages 170-191

    PDF

The current construct of intellectual disability is based on the assumption that both IQ and adaptive behaviour can be measured accurately. Intellectual Disability explains how and why this is not fit for purpose and that it is actually neither necessary nor reasonable to have a single construct of intellectual disability.

• Intellectual disability
• IQ
• intelligence
• behavior
• diagnosis

• University of Huddersfield, UK

  Simon Whitaker

• South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK

  Simon Whitaker

Simon Whitaker is Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield, UK, and Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Learning Disabilities in Huddersfield. His research interests include the reduction of challenging behaviour in people with learning disability, in particular anger and aggression, the measurement of IQ in people with learning disabilities, and the nature, definition and naming of learning disability.

Policies and ethics