Question about borderline intellectual functioning

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Am I right that borderline intellectual functioning is a developmental disorder?

When I Google Searched if borderline intellectual functioning is a developmental disorder. I came a cross this website https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967780 and it said that According to DSM and ICD, borderline intellectual functioning is not a disorder, but they do do comprise a vulnerable group.

It also says that many people with many people with borderline intellectual functioning do not have psychiatric disorders, but they are more vulnerable to the development of mental health problems than people of average or above average intelligence and may also be more vulnerable than people with mild intellectual disability.

If having borderline intellectual functioning makes you more vulnerable to the development of mental health problems, then it should be considered a developmental disorder.

Borderline intellectual functioning should always have been and always should be included in DSM editions and other classification systems such as the International Classification of Diseases, such as DSM-5 and ICD 11, etc.

I agree with with this medical website. Borderline intellectual functioning is a developmental disorder.

I also think that borderline intellectual functioning should be considered the mildest form of intellectual disability.

I also think that having an IQ 85–70 makes you more vulnerable to have issues with reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment, academic learning, and learning from experience.

Having an IQ of 69–55 can make you more vulnerable to deficits in adaptive functioning.

Having an IQ 54–48 is a high risk to have deficits in adaptive functioning.

Having an IQ of of 47–39 and under is a severe risk to have deficits in adaptive functioning.

I felt so confused, because I have borderline intellectual functioning, even though I have history of being diagnosed with Mental Retardation Unspecified when I was a toddler.

Perhaps a "disorder" is a strange pattern of development, but low IQ is just an overall lack of development.
I think that a lot more needs to be said about the conflict between sharp and dull minds. People who can't grasp common concepts get teased and shunned, but they get us back as TSA agents and such.

It makes sense.

If having low IQ is overall lack of development, isn't that a developmental disorder itself?

From my logical perspective, it is a developmental disorder. I think that any lack of development is a developmental disorder, regardless if there is a diagnosis or not.

Since IQ is genetic, I have difficulty considering how it could be called "developmental".

I also have difficulty understanding the use of the word "disorder".

Many of these "defects" were identified after WWII when school teachers observed that there was difficulty in getting some children to be compliant with industrial education.

If your questioning of the system of labels used by the psychological industrial complex is not so much to understand what is true, but more towards trying to qualify for a designation that will provide benefits, then you are stuck working with how these "experts" have constructed their system.

From your writing skills, I would not see a basis for claiming limited intellect.

Good genes do seem essential for high IQ, but it is certainly easily stunted, and sometimes luckily trained.

Developmental means it hampers development not that it results from development. Disorder does seem just as inappropriate as it is for ASD. It is more like a condition. I think the problem is that the DSM is a catalog of "disorders", so if they call it a "condition" people will question if it belongs in the DSM.

I am genuinely confused, because I have good typing skills and I always make sure my spelling and grammar is correct. But I am still trying to understand why my document that is outdated and old stated that they suspected that I have "Mental Retardation Unspecified".

Most of the reports of my psychological development is written in Hebrew, but the name of two disorders that they stated of suspecting me of having is written in English.

The two disorders that they stated of me having is "PDD-NOS" and "Mental Retardation Unspecified"

It could be because I have history of problems with adaptive functioning, but it got improved with therapy and special education. But still have some skills and delays with other skills that I should have learned at a young age.

Such as, I still don't know how to tie my shoes correctly, I have very basic cooking skills, I am still not independent to be on my own after some time. I do have problems with writing some words, I only know how to do very basic mathematical calculations, and I also have history of struggling with some academics and for almost 19 years and having late potty training until I was six years old.

I still have struggle with some academics to this day.

I think that is the only symptoms I remember having to this day. The symptoms that I used to have that I don't remember having is written in my medical and school records.

I also used to have speech delay, but I don't know if that is synonymous with having Intellectual Disability per say.



The only reason I may seem intelligent, is because I use computer or my phone to help myself with spelling checking, editing and grammar checking.

Last edited by FranzOren on 31 Dec 2020, 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Developmental disorder refers to a disorder that originates during the development of the brain.
It does not refer to any disorder or feature that can occur at any time after the developmental period.

any health problem, whether metal or other, starts some where and "develops".
This does not mean that all health problems are "developmental" disorders.

Unless the health problems are directly connected / associated with the developmental process of the brain / body forming.

IQ / intellectual impairment may be simply a genetically inherited trait that may occur regardless as to whether the individual has abnormal development.

Borderline intellectual functioning just means that a person isn't very smart. They probably have limits on what they can learn, on processing speed, speed of learning, finding connections or principles, understanding abstract concepts, and ability to problem solve.

Now you can have these limitations but also be manic-depressive, because that means you have widely moods, and it is a psychiatric disorder. Or you can have normal moods, but still be slow intellectually.

Or you can be slow intellectually but have a compulsion to wash your hands forty or fifty times a day, and that is a disorder - or you can just be slow, but not have any compulsions.

You can be slow intellectually and also hear voices and see visions of things that are not there, and that is a psychiatric disorder - or just slow intellectually, but only hear and see things that everyone else can see and hear.

Low IQ is not genetic, that is a very big oversimplification. It may have a genetic component, but is also caused by heavy metal toxicity, environmental deprivation, a head injury, metabolic disorders, and other factors that are not genetic. Is it developmental? Not necessarily. It can be acquired.

Deciding what goes into the DSM-V or ICD-10 is a very, very complex function that most of us can't understand. They don't make something a psychiatric diagnosis just because it seems to you that it should be. Don't worry about this. It's not your job, and you aren't going to be consulted.

It's just that borderline intellectual functioning to me kind of feels like having Intellectual Disability and having normal IQ at the same time.

I am however not the only one who feels that borderline intellectual functioning should have been and always have been part of the classification systems, especially DSM -5 and ICD 11.


On the bottom of the page of https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967780/. It states that they recommend a renewed regard to the concept of borderline intellectual functioning and its place in the DSM and other classification systems such as the ICD and that a well-defined classification can improve visibility of patients with borderline intellectual functioning in mental healthcare, bridging the gap between high prevalence and low recognition.


I also found the term "Slow Learner".


Slow learner:

A slow learner is typically defined as a student with an IQ profile that falls between 70-85. Looking at the Bell Curve below, a student with a composite IQ in the "Low" and "Low Average" ranges would fall into the category of "Slow Learner".


I also Google searched this if the term "Slow Learner" is a disability and it came up with this answer that a “slow learner” is not a diagnostic category, it is a term people use to describe a student who has the ability to learn necessary academic skills, but at rate and depth below average same age peers, but a slow learner does not meet criteria for an Intellectual Disability(previously called mental retardation).

But according to https://schoolpsychologistfiles.com/slowlearnerfaq/. Slow learners typically do not have a disability, even though they need extra support and that cognitive abilities are too high for these learners to be considered for an Intellectual Disability, but the abilities are usually too low to be considered for a Learning Disability and considering that a learning disability consists of discrepancies between average abilities and below average academics, coupled with a processing deficit.


Then I also Google searched the difference between the term "Slow Learner" and Learning Disorder and I came up with this "Slow learners typically do not have a disability, even though they need extra support. Cognitive abilities are too high for these learners to be considered for an Intellectual Disability. However, the abilities are usually too low to be considered for a Learning Disability."

It sounds very confusing, because if they need extra help, then they should be eligible for special education.



I also Google Searched if individualized education program has effectiveness for "slow learners" and I found this website https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16514222/ and according to this website, the results shows that the children had significant improvement in their academic functioning and self esteem after the training and that the present experiment can be a model to set up a resource room in normal schools to provide individualized education to children who are slow learners.


I also found that website as well https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267346/ and this website sates that IEP will lead to improvement in academic functioning of children who are slow learners.





I am sorry if I sounded like a psychologist, I am not a medical professional of any kind. I just have specific interest in psychology and also, because I also have borderline intellectual functioning as my regional center stated that I have, I felt very lost and confused as to rather I am considered to be learning disabled or not, after reading the term "Slow Learner" and that "Slow Learners" have an IQ of 70-85.

It just very confusing, because I have history of receiving special education and because I have borderline intellectual functioning, I felt lost when I read the term "Slow Learner" and that I fit the description of a "Slow Learner".

I also don't like the term "Slow Learner", because of that.

I however once asked my mom what my IQ is, she told me that she does not know what my IQ is, but she told me that my IQ was much lower when I was 12, but she does not know for sure what IQ I have and she also thinks that the schools don't accurately measure your IQ either.


Now I feel like my IQ is almost above average, because of so may paragraphs I wrote and how much intellect I have that I am only interested in, but I do suffer from doing some academics, including doing math and I still have some skills and delays in other skills.

Now I feel confused as to why the very old and outdated medical document mostly written in Hebrew and the only two names of disorders written in English stated that they suspected that I have "Mental Retardation Unspecified", but I mostly only know how to do very basic academics, unless it is something I am very interested in.

For some reason, I don’t believe the OP has “borderline intellectual functioning” at all. He seems at least average to me.

I don't think that it is true that my IQ is average, I tend to struggle with doing basic math and some other academics, even though I am also intelligent in some specific areas that I am only interested in.

I can write, but I tend to struggle with spelling some words and fixing some grammars without using my computer or my phone and I have history of struggling to memories things from academics than my peers.

When I was a child, I had some problems with adaptive functioning. And I still have some struggles to be independent for my age.


I also don't really think that it is valid to say who has lower IQ than average or who does not just by reading someone's post. There also has to be developmental and psychological testing than just IQ to find out if a person is struggling with Intellectual functioning, such as adaptive functioning that I struggle with.


I also used to point out that I had late potty training until I was six years old and I had speech delay.

I didn’t diagnose you. I just gave my impression.

I feel like you’re stuck in a label.

I am sorry! I feel bad for disagreeing with you.

I just felt so confused when I looked at the very old and outdated medical document that stated that I was suspected to have "Mental Retardation Unspecified".

Online once a person explained to me that my IQ has to be average and that I scored badly, because I have a Learning Disorder that hinders what my true IQ really is.

I think it slowly starting to make sense.

I think I am starting to get less confused now.


I think only score badly only some academics, but other than that I am fine in terms of how I show my interest in psychology.

I told my mom about my IQ and how low it was, she said that my issues that I had was a long time ago and that I improved a lot and that I need to move on, even though I still struggle with learning math and some other academics. My mom also told me that the schools don't accurately measure intelligence when it comes to people like me and she told me that I am intelligent in different ways than my peers.

Your mother is right.

Thank you! I will try my best to learn, never give up and not worry too much about my past, even though I still struggle learning with some academics and have history of communication delays.

I should focus on what I have now, not what I have in the past so much.

Thank you, I feel more confident now.