Abstract

The utility of the Vineland Scales to discriminate among dimensions of adaptive behavior was substantiated in a previous research with persons aged 6 to 60 years (Balboni, Pedrabissi, Molteni and Villa, 2001). To verify that the utility is independent of age, in this investigation children were selected (6 to 20 years), with mental retardation and with or without either a language, social behavior, or motor disorder. Among matched group pairs there were differences only in the domains which were damaged by the associated disorder; thus, the Vineland Scales discriminant utility has been substantiated regardless of age. The utility of the Vineland Scales in obtaining an ecological evaluation of individuals with mental retardation is discussed.