Levels of deficits or supports in the classification of mental retardation: Implementation practices

The publication of the ninth manual on terminology and classification of th e American Association on Mental Retardation in 1992 formally initiated the use of the concept of levels of supports as an alternative approach to und erstanding the meaning of mental retardation. This paper analyzes the appli cation of this change in the classification system in the domain of publish ed research. Data from three professional journals are presented and interp reted. The implications for future identification and classification in men tal retardation, teacher training, and the delivery of services and support s is discussed.