Diagnosis and Administrative Interventions for Students With Mental Retardation in Australia, France, United States, and Zimbabwe 98 Years After Binet's First Intelligence Test

Abstract

The year 2004 marks the 100-year anniversary of the first successful effort to develop a test of intelligence that became widely used, in part, to assess mental retardation. This article summarizes some prevailing policies and practices important to the assessment of the mental retardation in Australia, France, the United States, and Zimbabwe. International standards for the diagnosis and classification of mental disorders, including mental retardation, are identified. Cross-national similarities and differences are identified, and implications for test development are discussed.