Which description best defines mentally retarded/intellectually disabled?

• A. Significantly sub average general intellectual functioning with deficits in adaptive behavior, happens during developmental period and effects educational performance.
• B. A physical disability affecting mobility.
• C. A sensory impairment requiring assistive devices.
• D. A language-based learning difficulty.

Answer: (A)

Understanding what qualifies as intellectual disability helps you recognize how students are identified for supports in school settings. The key idea is that intellectual disability involves both intellectual functioning and how a person manages daily life tasks, with onset in the developmental years.

Specifically, a student is considered to have an intellectual disability when there is significantly below-average general intellectual functioning combined with deficits in adaptive behavior—skills needed for daily life, communication, social responsibility, and practical tasks. This combination must begin during the developmental period, typically before age 18, and it often affects performance in educational settings because learning, problem-solving, and daily living skills are all impacted.

The description in the item aligns exactly with this standard definition: it notes subaverage intellectual functioning, deficits in adaptive behavior, onset during development, and an impact on educational performance. Other descriptions describe different kinds of disabilities (physical mobility challenges, sensory impairments requiring devices, or language-based learning difficulties) and do not capture the dual domain of intellectual ability plus adaptive skills, nor the developmental onset criterion.

So, this description best reflects what many educational systems mean by intellectual disability and is the appropriate choice in this context.