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The number of students with the identified intellectual disability (ID) has increased in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because the field of special education in the country has been experiencing active growth since 1995. The focus on a range of service delivery models and specific mainstreaming programs for non-traditional disability categories can be viewed as the most distinctive characteristics of this development of the trend. Thus, the number of students with ID who use special education services in Saudi Arabia increased from 2,250 in 1992 to 20,576 in 2015 (Battal, 2016). It is possible to state that these tendencies in education for students with ID have created a unique opportunity for more young individuals to receive appropriate, high-quality services.
Currently, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) defines intellectual disability as a specific developmental condition that is typified by considerable deficits in not only a person’s intellectual functioning but also his or her adaptive behavior skills, such as practical, social, and conceptual ones. This disability is typically observed and diagnosed under the age of 18 (Tassé, Luckasson, & Schalock, 2016). Another definition of ID is according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Sec. 300.8 (c)(6)): “significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the development period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance” (Cavanaugh, 2017, p. 154). This definition by the IDEA, in its essence, is similar to that one provided by the AAIDD.
Students with intellectual disabilities can be classified as having mild to severe impairment depending on the demonstration of their skills and behavior strategies in multiple areas and contexts in terms of social participation. According to Chowhan and Patowary (2018), students with different intellectual disabilities can significantly benefit from learning and training their adaptive behavior skills (ABS). According to the AAIDD, adaptive behavior is associated with demonstrating practical, social, and various conceptual skills that are usually learned to effectively function in their life (Tassé et al., 2016). In this context, considerable limitations in students’ ABS can have a significant undesirable effect on their routine life and negatively affect their capacity to respond to a variety of situations and their surroundings (Santos, 2014). These particular skills include social ones, such as maintaining one’s self-esteem, focusing on responsibility, problem solving, and interpersonal skills. Practical skills include self-help skills, occupational skills, focusing on personal care and dressing, and schedules and routines among others (Oakland & Harrison, 2011). The area of conceptual skills includes reading, writing, self-direction, as well as money and time management.
In order to address the deficits of ABS among students having ID, it is necessary to conduct assessments and identify specific adaptive skills that these students can find challenging. Later, these assessments and associated results should be included in students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEP). According to Reschly, Myers, and Hartel (2002), information on these important aspects is mostly deficient in its nature and quality being contingent on imperfect and inadequate measures of these essential constructs. Thus, practitioners’ judgment is critical when deciding on the best approach to assessing individuals’ adaptive and intellectual functioning, as well as when interpreting the results. Four assessment tools are important for identifying adaptive behavior and skills: the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS), the Scale of Independent Behavior (SIB), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) (Oakland & Harrison, 2011). These scales need to be discussed in detail with a focus on their purpose.
The Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) was developed by the AAIDD, and currently, the second edition of the scale is used. According to Dixon (2007), this scale is appropriate to assess children and adolescents aged between three and 21 years regarding their independence in a community, social interactions, and participation in social activities. The ABS is usually administered through providing a child’s guardian or parent with a questionnaire or conducting an interview (Paskiewicz, 2009; Santos, 2014; Price, Morris, & Costello, 2018). The scale is effective to assess children’s language development, numeracy skills, the extent of independent social functioning, as well as personal responsibility and self-direction.
The Scale of Independent Behavior (SIB) was developed by Robert H. Bruininks, Richard F. Weatherman, Richard W. Woodcock, and Bradley K. Hill in 1984. The revised version of the scale (SIB-R) was released in 1996. The scale measures an individual’s independent functioning in a variety of social settings that include a person’s home, school, workplace, and community, determining adaptive behavior skills. SIB-R is often used for assessment of ABS in individuals who are aged between three months and 80 years (Tassé & Mehling, 2017). The test is administered in the form of a questionnaire or an interview provided to parents and guardians when assessing children’s ABS.
Four main domains associated with adaptive behavior and measured with the help of the SIB-R are motor skills, social communication and interaction, community living, and personal living. As a result of conducting this assessment, evaluators receive the information regarding an individual’s development of gross-motor and fine-motor skills, interactions, the performance of daily routines, as well as skills in dressing and toileting (Walsh, Holloway, & Lydon, 2018; Weiss, Ting, & Perry, 2016). The scale is appropriate to help professionals determine whether the assessed person has problems with adaptive functioning and requires support and assistance.
The first version of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) was designed by Edgar A. Doll in 1935, and later it was revised several times. According to Doll, it was important to develop social maturity of students with ID in the context of special education classes in order to address their specific needs. The purpose of the scale was to measure individuals’ social competence, and the test was developed as appropriate for different age categories, including children and adolescents aged up to 19 years old (Yang, Paynter, & Gilmore, 2016). The assessment is based on measuring ABS within four key domains: daily living skills of assessed persons, motor skills, communication, and their socialization. Thus, questions in the scale cover such areas as self-help, self-direction, dressing, occupation, and socialization among others (Pugliese et al., 2015). An examiner receives an opportunity to compare the assessed individual’s scores with the results typical of a general population.
The discussed three scales are viewed as the most popular and effective measurement tools for determining individuals’ progress in adaptive behavior. As a result of using the ABS, the SIB-R, and the VABS, practitioners are able to identify the actual level of students’ functioning and adaptive behavior skills in cases when they have ID. The domains associated with persons’ social, practical, and cognitive skills are directly and fully addressed in the context of these three scales.
References
Battal, Z. M. B. (2016). Special education in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, 5(2), 880-886.
Cavanaugh, L. K. (2017). Intellectual disabilities. In J. P. Winnick & D. L. Porretta (Eds.), Adapted physical education and sport (6th ed.) (pp. 153-174). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Chowhan, S., & Patowary, P. (2018). Issues and recent trends in the assessment and management of ID in childhood. In Management Association (Ed.), Autism spectrum disorders: Breakthroughs in research and practice (pp. 1-19). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Dixon, D. R. (2007). Adaptive behavior scales. International Review of Research in Mental Retardation, 34, 99-140.
Oakland, T., & Harrison, P. L. (2011). Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II: Clinical use and interpretation. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
Paskiewicz, T. L. (2009). A comparison of adaptive behavior skills and IQ in three populations: Children with learning disabilities, mental retardation, and autism. Retrieved from Temple University Libraries. (3344403)
Price, J., Morris, Z., & Costello, S. (2018). The application of adaptive behaviour models: A systematic review. Behavioral Sciences, 8(2), 11-28.
Pugliese, C. E., Anthony, L., Strang, J. F., Dudley, K., Wallace, G. L., & Kenworthy, L. (2015). Increasing adaptive behavior skill deficits from childhood to adolescence in autism spectrum disorder: Role of executive function. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1579-1587.
Reschly, D. J., Myers, T. G., & Hartel, C. R. (Eds.). (2002). Mental retardation: Determining eligibility for social security benefits. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Santos, S. (2014). Adaptive behaviour on the Portuguese curricula: A comparison between children and adolescents with and without intellectual disability. Creative Education, 5(7), 501-509.
Tassé, M. J., Luckasson, R., & Schalock, R. L. (2016). The relation between intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior in the diagnosis of intellectual disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 54(6), 381-390.
Tassé, M. J., & Mehling, M. H. (2017). Measuring intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior in determining intellectual disability. In M. L. Wehmeyer & K. A. Shogren (Eds.), Handbook of research-based practices for educating students with intellectual disability (pp. 63-78). New York, NY: Routledge.
Walsh, E., Holloway, J., & Lydon, H. (2018). An evaluation of a social skills intervention for adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities preparing for employment in Ireland: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(5), 1727–1741.
Weiss, J. A., Ting, V., & Perry, A. (2016). Psychosocial correlates of psychiatric diagnoses and maladaptive behaviour in youth with severe developmental disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 60(6), 583-593.
Yang, S., Paynter, J. M., & Gilmore, L. (2016). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: II profile of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(1), 64-73.
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