What skills does adaptive behavior include?
• Conceptual Skills: Literacy; self-direction; and concepts of number, money, and time • Social Skills: Interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naïveté (i.e., wariness), social problem solving, following rules, obeying laws, and avoiding being victimized • Practical Skills: Activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills, use of money, safety, health care, travel/transportation, schedules/routines, and use of the telephone • Other Considerations: Adaptive behavior has been defined as the activities an individual actually performs, rather than the ability to perform activities—what a person does, rather than can do. Also, adaptive behavior is recognized as being dependent on the expectations of age, culture group, and the demands of particular situations and environments. DABS has been designed as a culturally sensitive and equitable instrument.
