• Persons with a disability attributable to mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or other neurological handicapping condition which requires training or support similar to that required by individuals with mental retardation, and the disability:
  • originates before the age of 22, except that in the case of mental retardation where the condition must be manifested before the age of 18, AND
  • has or can be expected to continue indefinitely, AND
  • constitutes a substantial handicap to the ability of the individual to function in society OR
  • results in significant sub-average general intellectual functioning, with concurrent deficits in adaptive behavior which are manifested during the developmental period.

Individuals of borderline intelligence may be considered to have mental retardation if there is also a serious impairment of adaptive behavior. Definitions and classifications are to be consistent with the “Manual of Terminology and Classification in Mental Retardation” by the American Association on Mental Deficiency, 1977 revision. Mental retardation is synonymous with mental deficiency.