Pieces of the Puzzle: Measuring the Personal Competence and Support Needs of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities

Theoretical and empirical efforts to develop valid methods by which to identify people with mental retardation and related disabilities have been underway for approximately 100 years. Recently, there is a growing consensus that mental retardation is best conceptualized as significant limitations in the multidimensional construct of personal competence. In addition to physical competence, personal competence is conceptualized to include, at the broadest level of conceptualization, the domains of conceptual, practical, and social intelligence. Due to limitations in personal competence, the defining characteristic of persons with mental retardation is an ongoing need for types and intensities of support that most others in society do not require. Current models of personal competence are described and the types of measurement tools available to measure essential dimensions of personal competence are discussed. Additionally, a systematic approach is described for assessing support needs and developing plans to meet these needs.