GC: n
S: NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK332877/#:~:text=Mild%20to%20Moderate%20Intellectual%20Disability&text=Individuals%20with%20mild%20ID%20are,with%20minimal%20levels%20of%20support. (last access: 25 June 2023); GU – https://www.gu.se/en/gnc/mild-intellectual-disability (last access: 25 June 2023).
N: 1. – mild (adj): Old English milde, of persons, powers, or dispositions, “possessing softness or gentleness, good-tempered, merciful,” from Proto-Germanic *milthjaz- (source also of Old Norse mildr (which also contributed to the English word), Old Saxon mildi, Old Frisian milde, Middle Dutch milde, Dutch mild, Old High German milti, German milde “mild,” Gothic mildiþa “kindness”), from PIE *meldh-, from root *mel- (1) “soft,” which is the source also of Latin mollis “soft.”
Of weather, “not rough or stormy,” late 14c. Of medicine, etc., “gentle or moderate in force, operation, or effect,” c. 1400; of disease from 1744. Of rule, punishment, etc., “moderate in quality or degree, of mitigated force, not hard to endure,” by 1570s. It was also used in Old English as an adverb, meaning “mercifully, graciously.”
Mild goes further than gentle in expressing softness of nature; it is chiefly a word of nature or character, while gentle is chiefly a word of action. [Century Dictionary]
– intellectual (adj): late 14c., “grasped by the understanding” (rather than by the senses), from Old French intellectuel (13c.) and directly from Latin intellectualis “relating to the understanding,” from intellectus “discernment, understanding,” noun use of past participle of intelligere “to understand, discern” (see intelligence).
Sense of “characterized by a high degree of intellect” is from 1819. Meaning “appealing to or engaging the mental powers” is from 1834. Intellectual property “products of the intellect” is attested from 1845. Adjective formations in the sense “of or pertaining to the intellect” included intellective (early 15c.), intellectile (1670s).
– disability (n): 1570s, “want of power, strength, or ability,” from dis- + ability. Meaning “incapacity in the eyes of the law” is from 1640s. Related: Disabilities.
Disability implies deprivation or loss of power; inability indicates rather inherent want of power. [Century Dictionary]
2. Mild intellectual disability (previously known as mild mental retardation) refers to deficits in intellectual functions pertaining to abstract/theoretical thinking. Mild intellectual disability occurs in approximately 1.5 percent of the population. Other cognitive functions are usually affected as well, which leads to deficits/disorders in other areas. For example, people with mild intellectual disability also often meet the criteria for ADHD. Intellectual disability affects adaptive functioning, i.e. the skills needed to navigate everyday life, which calls for tailored support. This in turn means that follow-up of individuals with intellectual disability must assess not only their cognitive and intellectual functions but also their need for support.
3. Classifications of Severity:
The terms “mild,” “moderate,” “severe,” and “profound” have been used to describe the severity of the condition (see Table 9-1). This approach has been helpful in that aspects of mild to moderate ID differ from severe to profound ID. The DSM-5 retains this grouping with more focus on daily skills than on specific IQ range.
4. Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disability:
The majority of people with ID are classified as having mild intellectual disabilities. Individuals with mild ID are slower in all areas of conceptual development and social and daily living skills. These individuals can learn practical life skills, which allows them to function in ordinary life with minimal levels of support. Individuals with moderate ID can take care of themselves, travel to familiar places in their community, and learn basic skills related to safety and health. Their self-care requires moderate support.
5. Severe Intellectual Disability:
Severe ID manifests as major delays in development, and individuals often have the ability to understand speech but otherwise have limited communication skills (Sattler, 2002). Despite being able to learn simple daily routines and to engage in simple self-care, individuals with severe ID need supervision in social settings and often need family care to live in a supervised setting such as a group home.
6. Profound Intellectual Disability:
Persons with profound intellectual disability often have congenital syndromes (Sattler, 2002). These individuals cannot live independently, and they require close supervision and help with self-care activities. They have very limited ability to communicate and often have physical limitations. Individuals with mild to moderate disability are less likely to have associated medical conditions than those with severe or profound ID.
7. F70: code used in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (Canada).
The term “mild mental retardation” must be avoided (pejorative).
S: 1. OED – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=mild+intellectual+disability, https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=disability (last access:25 June 2023 ). 2. GU – https://www.gu.se/en/gnc/mild-intellectual-disability (last access: 25 June 2023). 3 to 6. NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK332877/ (last access: 25 June 2023). 7. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=mild+intellectual+disability&index=alt&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 25 June 2023).
SYN: mild intellectual developemental disorder
S: TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=mild+intellectual+disability&index=alt&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 25 June 2023)
CR: disability, disabled person, impairment, intellectual disability.
