Adaptive behavior refers to behaviors that allow individuals to survive and thrive through avoiding dangers, taking reasonable safety precautions, and adapting to both good and adverse environments and circumstances. It involves appropriate responses to immediate surroundings and probable future environments while accounting for a person's physical context and cultural demands. Adaptive behavior is assessed based on age-appropriate performance rather than ability and considers the consequences, context, frequency, and severity of behaviors as well as the status of the person being evaluated. Common assessment tools like the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales measure communication, daily living skills, social skills, physical activity, and maladaptive behaviors through caregiver reports and surveys.

1. Adaptive Behavior
• Survival: behaviors that allow individuals to
continue to live by avoiding dangers and by
taking reasonable precautions to ensure their
safety.
• Thriving: behaviors that allow individuals to
thrive in both good and adverse times.

2. Adaptive behavior
• Adaptive behavior is
– an appropriate response to the demands of the
immediate environment
– appropriate responses to probable future
environments
• Adaptive Behavior takes into account
– demands of a person’s physical surroundings
– cultural

3. Adaptive Behavior
• Adaptive behavior
– varies with Age
– Is performance rather than ability

4. Maladaptive Behavior
• What makes a behavior maladaptive?
– Consequences
– Context
– Frequency and Amplitude
– Status of person being assessed

5. Assessing Adaptive Behavior
• Role of the “Respondent”
• Typical behavior v. Ability to behave
• Threats to valid assessment

6. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales,
Second Edition
• Behavior Sampled on Parent/Caregiver Form
– Communication
– Daily living skills
– Social skills and relationships
– Physical activity
– Maladaptive behavior, part I
– Maladaptive behavior, part 2

7. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales,
Second Edition
• Behavior Sampled on Survey Form
– Communication
– Daily living skills
– Socialization
– Motor skills
– Maladaptive behavior

8. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales,
Second Edition
• Scores
– Individual items on a 4-point scale
– V-scores (mean = 10, SD = 3)
– Normalized standard scores (mean = 100, SD = 15)
• Technical adequacy

9. Adaptive Behavior
• Why Assess it
– Identification of mental retardation
– Program planning
• Dilemmas
– No consensus definition of the domain
– Poor norms are often a problem
– Lack of agreement among raters

10. Adaptive Behavior
• Why Assess it
– Identification of mental retardation
– Program planning
• Dilemmas
– No consensus definition of the domain
– Poor norms are often a problem
– Lack of agreement among raters