Synonyms
Definition
Adaptive behavior can be defined in various ways, the simplest being that it is the performance of daily activities required for personal and social sufficiency [8]. Furthermore, it is how individuals are able to cope with common life demands and how well a person meets the standards of personal independence expected of someone in their particular age group, sociocultural background, and community setting. A persons adaptive functioning could be influenced by a variety of factors, including education, motivation, personality characteristics, social and vocational opportunities [2, p. 40]. For those that may have significant limitations in adaptive behavior, these barriers can easily impact their daily life and affect their ability to respond to a particular situation or to the environment [3].
Description
Adaptive behavior can be difficult to define because it is not independent of intelligence and the number of dimensions associated with adaptive behavior is unknown [8]. The DSM-IV identifies ten areas of adaptive functioning, which include: communication, self-care, home living, social skills, use of community resources, self-direction, academic skills, work, leisure, health and safety [5].
According to Sparrow et al. [8], adaptive behavior is the interaction of personal, cognitive, social, and situational variables. However, there are several important principals that are inherent when using this definition of adaptive behavior. The first is that adaptive behavior is age related, in that it increases and becomes more complex as a person gets older. Second, adaptive behavior is defined by the standards of others. For example, those who live, work, and interact with an individual. Third, adaptive behavior is variable because it can become worse or progress depending on changes in the environment, interventions, or other events. Last, adaptive behavior is defined by typical performance, not ability. It is meant to measure what a person actually does day to day, despite their actual ability to do it [8].
The following is a list of the ten areas of adaptive functioning and their definition, as defined by Harrison and Oakland [4]:
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1.
Communication: Speech, language, and listening skills needed for communication with other people, including vocabulary, conversation skills, etc.
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2.
Community use: Skills needed for functioning in the community, including use of community resources, shopping skills, etc.
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3.
Functional academics: Basic reading, writing, mathematics, and other academic skills needed for daily, independent functioning, including telling time, writing notes and letters, etc.
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4.
School/home living: Skills needed for basic care of a home, living, school and classroom setting, including cleaning, performing chores, etc.
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5.
Health and safety: Skills needed for protection of health and to respond to illness and injury, including using medicines, showing caution, etc.
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6.
Leisure: Skills needed for engaging in and planning leisure and recreational activities, including playing with others, following rules in games, etc.
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7.
Self-care: Skills needed for personal care including eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, etc.
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8.
Self-direction: Skills needed for independence, responsibility, and self-control, including starting and completing tasks, keeping a schedule, making choices, etc.
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9.
Social: Skills needed to interact socially and get along with other people, including having friends, showing and recognizing emotions, assisting others, and using manners.
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10.
Work: Skills needed for successful functioning and holding a part- or full-time job in a work setting, including completing work tasks, working with supervisors, and following a work schedule.
Relevance to Childhood Development
A child’s adaptive functioning will change as the child grows older, and must be considered relative to a child’s age. What is expected of a child at age 5 will be quite different from what is expected at age 15. It is therefore very important to maintain a developmental sense of adaptive behavior. Children who have mental retardation are defined as having deficits in their adaptive behavior in at least two areas. Depending on the severity of the mental retardation, adaptive skills can be taught to a child, but may need to be done at a very basic level [5].
References
Ainsworth, P., & Baker, P. (2004). Understanding mental retardation: A resource for parents, caregivers, and counselors. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. (2008). Frequently asked questions on intellectual disability and the AAIDD definition. Washington, DC: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Harrison, P., & Oakland, T. (2003). Adaptive behavior assessment system (2nd ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Kronenberger, W., & Meyer, R (Eds.). (2001). Mental retardation. In The child clinician’s handbook (2nd ed., pp. 438–453). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Pretzel, R., & Hiemenz, J. (2004). Assessment of young children: Standards, stages, and approaches. In S. R. Hooper & W. Umanskey (Eds.), Young children with special needs (pp. 122–147). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Sattler, J (Ed.). (2002). Assessment of adaptive behavior. In Assessment of children: Behavioral and clinical applications (4th ed., pp. 189–211). San Diego: Jerome M. Sattler Publisher.
Sparrow, S., Cicchetti, D., & Balla, D. (2005). Vineland adaptive behavior scales (2nd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: AGS.
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Bullington, E.A. (2011). Adaptive Behavior. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_52
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