Adaptive Behavior is the degree to which an individual meets the standards of personal independence and social responsibility expected of his or her age and social group. They include basic behavior such as grooming, dressing, obeying of school rules, social skills and personal responsibility. It basically includes age appropriate behavior that enables the individual to function properly and safely in his life.
Assessments can be done using the adaptive behavior to find out what behavior strengths and weaknesses should be addressed in for example a child so as to improve his chances of success in his academic and social life. (Matson, 2010)It is recommended that learning students that are disabled require designed instructions that aid them in acquiring the adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior can be assessed through the answering of questionnaires by the parents or if the student is able to he can do it himself.
To appropriately measure adaptive skills, dative behavior scales that have been applied on people with and without disabilities are used.Mentally retarded children have a limitation in their adaptive behavior with reference to their adaptive behavior. Their social skills or self-care skills and communication skills are impaired. However, children with milder retardation can acquire basic skills though their inability to properly express themselves might hinder their social skill. (Matson, 2010)Intellectual Disability includes mental retardation, specific learning disabilities and acquired brain injuries.
Intellectual disability involves the damaging of the cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behavior. It is therefore necessary to talk of adaptive behavior when talking about intellectual disability. The individual will have specific learning disability whose causing factors are not clearly distinguished and it is therefore difficult to measure. Such individuals will have a difficulty in performing simple tasks given to them or that have been taught to them in the conventional way.
This problem is not indicative of their intelligence levels.Assessment of adaptive behavior needs to focus on the age of the individual, the environment, school or home as well as his socio- cultural background in which the individual is supposed to function.Teaching of individuals with Intellectual disabilities should be done differently from the normal ways of classroom teaching. These individual grasp ideas at a different pace from a normal individual and they should get all the support they need either in the school or home environment. (Matson, 2010)
Reference:
Matson, J. L. (2010) Social Behavior and Skills in Children. Springer
