Final answer:
Intellectual Disability in children is characterized by below-average intellectual functioning, which is assessed by measuring IQ scores and adaptive skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
Intellectual Disability (ID) in children is characterized by below-average intellectual functioning. This means that a child with an intellectual disability has an IQ score approximately two standard deviations below the mean on an intelligence test, typically about 70 or lower on a test where the mean score is 100. Additionally, individuals with ID also have significant limitations in adaptive skills such as communication, social participation, and independent living. The cognitive and adaptive deficits associated with intellectual disabilities are present before the age of 18, as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders (DSM).
Clinical definitions of intellectual disabilities, as stated in the landmark case Atkins v. Virginia, also require notable limitations in adaptive skills and not just subaverage intellectual functioning. This is distinguished from learning disabilities, which are highly specific neurological impairments and do not necessarily correlate with an individual’s overall intelligence, as in cases of dyslexia where individuals often have average or above-average intelligence.
It’s important to understand the difference between intellectual disabilities and learning disabilities. While learning disabilities such as dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia are specific to particular areas of cognition and often occur in individuals with average to above-average intelligence, intellectual disabilities encompass broader cognitive impairments and deficits in adaptive functioning.