Measuring Adaptive Functioning in a Correctional Setting: An Analysis of the Problems in Everyday Living Test (PEDL)

Identifying incarcerated individuals with poor adaptive functioning (AF) is critical to ensuring their safety and preserving their legal rights, particularly when a diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) is considered. This study examined the utility of the Problems in Everyday Living Test (PEDL) to identify incarcerated individuals with deficits in AF who may warrant further assessment for ID. The sample consisted of 154 incarcerated adults housed in mental health units in a large urban jail. Latent class analysis supported a three-class model consistent with Impaired, Borderline, and Intact groups, which differed in the level of AF and other indicators of ID. A cutoff score of 13 in the PEDL was optimal to identify incarcerated individuals with deficits in AF, possible intellectual impairment, and a history of special education. Study findings provided preliminary support for using a 12-item modified version of the PEDL as a screening tool in correctional settings.