Developing behavioural indicators for intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour for ICD-11 disorders of intellectual development.
New ICD-11 tables let you diagnose ID severity from real-life behaviors instead of IQ scores.
01Research in Context
What this study did
An expert panel built new tables for the ICD-11. The tables list everyday behaviors that show intellectual and adaptive deficits.
Clinicians can use the tables instead of IQ tests to judge severity across the lifespan.
What they found
The tables give clear, plain-language examples. You can match what you see in front of you to the right diagnostic level.
No numbers or scores are needed—just observable behavior.
How this fits with other research
Pitetti et al. (2007) did the same kind of consensus work earlier, but only for adult health indicators. The new tables widen the lens to all ages and to diagnosis itself.
Luckasson et al. (2015) urged clinicians to use 10 judgment standards when diagnosing ID. The 2019 tables turn those standards into a ready checklist you can hold in your hand.
Matson et al. (2013) listed 114 dementia tools for adults with ID. The ICD-11 tables do not replace those tools; they sit upstream, helping you decide if ID is even the right label before you pick a tool.
Why it matters
You no longer need an IQ test to document severity. If a teen cannot handle money, time, or social demands, the table tells you the level. Monday morning, open the ICD-11 behavioral tables, circle the rows that fit your client, and use them to justify your diagnosis and service request.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: We present the work conducted to arrive at deriving behavioural indicators that could be used to guide clinical judgement in determining the presence and severity of deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour for the purpose of making a diagnosis of disorders of intellectual development. METHODS: An interdisciplinary expert panel provided guidance in developing behavioural indicators for intellectual functioning. A national dataset of adaptive behaviour on a sample of individuals with a diagnosis of intellectual disability was used to develop the behavioural indicators for the adaptive behaviour. The adaptive behaviour data were analysed using a cluster analysis procedure to define the different severity groupings by chronological age groups. RESULTS: We present a series of tables containing behavioural indicators across the lifespan for intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour, including conceptual, social and practical skills. These tables of behavioural indicators have been proposed for use in the clinical version of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) to be published by the World Health Organization. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed behavioural indicators for disorders of ID described in the present article and to be included in the ICD-11 Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines are put forth to assist professionals in making an informed clinical decision regarding an individual's level of intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour for the purpose of making a determination about the presence and severity of disorders of ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2019 · doi:10.1111/jir.12582