Mild intellectual disability : an entity? Mapping clinical profiles and support needs

Abstract

The group of individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MID) is heterogeneous with regard to their characteristics, the problems they encounter and the support they need. The diversity of the problems and the diffuse spectrum of support programs aggravate the process to identify the correct type of support. The objective of this thesis is to identify whether it is possible and clinically relevant to differentiate clinical profiles within the MBID population that relate to specific support programs. Also the initially recommended support is compared with the provided support and the satisfaction with the received support is studied. The study included 73 individuals aged 6 to 36 years within five institutions for people with MBID in the Netherlands. The findings demonstrate that four multidimensional clinical profiles of functioning could be differentiated, based on the actual levels of intellectual and adaptive functioning and the presence of behavioural problems and psychopathology. Moreover, two profiles could also be differentiated according to their pathways to care, and the behavioural, educational and social-environmental characteristics in their history. These two clinical profiles were also related to specific support programs. The comparison of initially recommended and provided support revealed serious shortcomings in the provision of support.