Skip to main content
Original Articles and Reviews

Psychological and Cognitive Aspects of Borderline Intellectual Functioning

A Systematic Review

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000293

Abstract. Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) refers to a global IQ ranging from 71 to 84, and it represents a condition of clinical attention for its association with other disorders and its influence on the outcomes of treatments and, in general, quality of life and adaptation. Furthermore, its definition has changed over time causing a relevant clinical impact. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature on this topic can promote an understanding of what has been studied, and can differentiate what is currently attributable to BIF from that which cannot be associated with this kind of intellectual functioning. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, we have conducted a review of the literature about BIF. The results suggest that this condition is still associated with mental retardation, and only a few studies have focused specifically on this condition.

References

  • *Alloway, T. P. (2010). Working memory and executive function profiles of individuals with borderline intellectual functioning. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54, 448–456. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01281.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Atilola, O., Omigbodun, O., Bella-Awusah, T., Lagunju, I. & Igbeneghu, P. (2014). Neurological and intellectual disabilities among adolescents within a custodial institution in South-West Nigeria. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 21, 31–38. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12044 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Bonifacci, P. & Snowling, M. J. (2008). Speed of processing and reading disability: A cross-linguistic investigation of dyslexia and borderline intellectual functioning. Cognition, 107, 999–1017. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2007.12.006 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Chaplin, R., Barley, M., Cooper, S. J., Kusel, Y., McKendrick, J., Stephenson, D., … Burns, T. (2006). The impact of intellectual functioning on symptoms and service use in schizophrenia. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50, 288–294. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00837.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Deb, S., Dhaliwal, A. J. & Roy, M. (2008). The usefulness of Conners’ rating scales-revised in screening for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with intellectual disabilities and borderline intelligence. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52, 950–965. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2007.01035.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Di Nuovo, S. & Buono, S. (2009). Diagnosis of intellectual disability: Comparison between clinical criteria and automatized procedures. Life Span and Disabilities, XII, 151–159. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.03.015 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Ek, U., Norrelgen, F., Westerlund, J., Dahlman, A., Hultby, E. & Fernell, E. (2012). Teenage outcomes after speech and language impairment at preschool age. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 8, 221. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S30106 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Embregts, P. J. C. M. & Van Nieuwenhuijzen, M. (2009). Social information processing in boys with autistic spectrum disorder and mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53, 922–931. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01204.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Emerson, E., Einfeld, S. & Stancliffe, R. J. (2010). The mental health of young children with intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 45, 579–587. doi: 10.1007/s00127-009-0100-y First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Emerson, E. & Robertson, J. (2010). Obesity in young children with intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning. The International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 5, 320–326. doi: 10.3109/17477160903473713 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Esposito, M. & Carotenuto, M. (2010). Borderline intellectual functioning and sleep: The role of cyclic alternating pattern. Neuroscience Letters, 485, 89–93. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.08.062 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Esposito, M. & Carotenuto, M. (2014). Intellectual disabilities and power spectra analysis during sleep: A new perspective on borderline intellectual functioning. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58, 421–429. doi: 10.1111/jir.12036 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Estes, A. M., Dawson, G., Sterling, L. & Munson, J. (2007). Level of intellectual functioning predicts patterns of associated symptoms in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 112, 439–449. doi: 10.1352/0895-8017(2007)112[439:LOIFPP]2.0.CO;2 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Fenning, R. M., Baker, J. K., Baker, B. L. & Crnic, K. A. (2007). Parenting children with borderline intellectual functioning: A unique risk population. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 112, 107–121. doi: 10.1352/0895-8017(2007)112[107:PCWBIF]2.0.CO;2 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Ferrari, M. (2009). Borderline intellectual functioning and the intellectual disability construct. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 47, 386–389. doi: 10.1352/1934-9556-47.5.386 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Fernell, E. & Ek, U. (2010). Borderline intellectual functioning in children and adolescents – Insufficiently recognized difficulties. Acta Paediatrica, 99, 748–753. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01707.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Franken, T. E., Lewis, C. & Malone, S. A. (2009). Brief report: Are children with autism proficient word learners? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 255–259. doi: 10.1007/s10803-009-0847-8 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Handen, B. L., Janosky, J. & McAuliffe, S. (1997). Long-term follow-up of children with mental retardation/borderline intellectual functioning and ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 25, 287–295. doi: 10.1023/A:1025760302598 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Handen, B. L., McAuliffe, S., Janosky, J., Feldman, H. & Breaux, A. M. (1998). A playroom observation procedure to assess children with mental retardation and ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 269–277. doi: 10.1023/A:1022654417460 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Hartley, S. L., Barker, E. T., Seltzer, M. M., Floyd, F., Greenberg, J., Orsmond, G. & Bolt, D. (2010). The relative risk and timing of divorce in families of children with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 449. doi: 10.1037/a0019847 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Hassiotis, A., Tanzarella, M., Bebbington, P. & Cooper, C. (2011). Prevalence and predictors of suicidal behaviour in a sample of adults with estimated borderline intellectual functioning: Results from a population survey. Journal of Affective Disorders, 129, 380–384. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.10.002 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Hassiotis, A., Ukoumunne, O. C., Byford, S., Tyrer, P., Harvey, K., Piachaud, J., … Fraser, J. (2001). Intellectual functioning and outcome of patients with severe psychotic illness randomised to intensive case management report from the UK700 trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 178, 166–171. doi: 10.1192/bjp.178.2.166 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Haysom, L., Indig, D., Moore, E. & Gaskin, C. (2014). Intellectual disability in young people in custody in New South Wales, Australia – Prevalence and markers. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58, 1004–1014. doi: 10.1111/jir.12109 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Jansen, B. R., De Lange, E. & Van der Molen, M. J. (2013). Math practice and its influence on math skills and executive functions in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 1815–1824. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.02.022 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Kantzer, A. K., Fernell, E., Gillberg, C. & Miniscalco, C. (2013). Autism in community pre-schoolers: Developmental profiles. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 2900–2908. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.06.016 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *MacMillan, D. L., Gresham, F. M., Bocian, K. M. & Lambros, K. M. (1998). Current plight of borderline students: Where do they belong? Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 33, 83–94. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • *Mähler, C. (2005). Acquiring a theory of biology: Knowledge about inheritance in children with lower intelligence. Swiss Journal of Psychology/Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Psychologie/Revue Suisse de Psychologie, 64, 173. doi: 10.1024/1421-0185.64.3.173 First citation in articleLinkGoogle Scholar

  • Masi, G., Marcheschi, M. & Pfanner, P. (1998). Adolescents with borderline intellectual functioning: Psychopathological risk. Adolescence, 33, 415–424. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Miller, A., Jewell, T., Booth, S. & Robson, D. (1985). Delivering educational programmes to slow learners. Educational Psychology in Practice, 1, 99–104. doi: 10.1080/0266736850010304 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J. & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151, 264–269. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Paquette, C., Tosoni, C., Lassonde, M. & Peretz, I. (1996). Atypical hemispheric specialization in intellectual deficiency. Brain and Language, 52, 474–483. doi: 10.1006/brln.1996.0025 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Pineda, D. A., Lopera, F., Palacio, J. D., Ramirez, D. & Henao, G. C. (2003). Prevalence estimations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Differential diagnoses and comorbidities in a Colombian sample. The International Journal of Neuroscience, 113, 49–71. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Salvador-Carulla, L., García-Gutiérrez, J. C., Ruiz Gutiérrez-Colosía, M., Artigas-Pallarès, J., García Ibáñez, J., González Pérez, J., … Martínez-Leal, R. (2013). Borderline intellectual functioning: Consensus and good practice guidelines. Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (English Edition), 6, 109–120. doi: 10.1016/j.rpsmen.2012.12.002 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Schuchardt, K., Maehler, C. & Hasselhorn, M. (2011). Functional deficits in phonological working memory in children with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 1934–1940. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.03.022 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Thompson, R. J., Lampron, L. B., Johnson, D. F. & Eckstein, T. L. (1990). Behavior problems in children with the presenting problem of poor school performance. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 15, 3–20. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van der Meer, D. J. & Van der Meere, J. (2004). Response inhibition in children with conduct disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. Child Neuropsychology, 10, 189–194. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van der Meere, J., Börger, N. & Pirila, S. (2012). Visual orientation in hospitalized boys with early onset conduct disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. Child Neuropsychology, 18, 12–22. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2011.555943 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van der Meere, J. J., Van der Meer, D. J., Kunert, H. J., Börger, N. & Pirila, S. (2008). Impulsive responses in children with conduct disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. Child Neuropsychology, 14, 187–194. doi: 10.1080/09297040701660283 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van der Molen, M. J. (2010). Working memory structure in 10- and 15-year old children with mild to borderline intellectual, disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31, 1258–1263. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2010.07.019 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van der Molen, M. J., Van Luit, J. E., Van der Molen, M. W., Klugkist, I. & Jongmans, M. J. (2010). Effectiveness of a computerised working memory training in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54, 433–447. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01285.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van Nieuwenhuijzen, M., Orobio de Castro, B., Van Aken, M. A. G. & Matthys, W. (2009). Impulse control and aggressive response generation as predictors of aggressive behaviour in children with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intelligence. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53, 233–242. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01112.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van Nieuwenhuijzen, M., Orobio de Castro, B., Wijnroks, L., Vermeer, A. & Matthys, W. (2009). Social problem-solving and mild intellectual disabilities: Relations with externalizing behavior and therapeutic context. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 114, 42–51. First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Van Nieuwenhuijzen, M. & Vriens, A. (2012). (Social) Cognitive skills and social information processing in children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 426–434. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.09.025 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Villalobos, J. A. L., de Llano, J. M. A., Azón, M. I. S., Andrés, R. M. S. & López, S. A. (2012). Disruptive behavior disorders: Multidimensional analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 12, 405–417. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • *Vuijk, P. J., Hartman, E., Scherder, E. & Visscher, C. (2010). Motor performance of children with mild intellectual disability and borderline intellectual functioning. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54, 955–965. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01318.x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • *Weiss, J., MacMullin, J., Waechter, R., & Wekerle, C. The MAP Research Team. (2011). Child maltreatment, adolescent attachment style, and dating violence: Considerations in youths with borderline-to-mild intellectual disability. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9, 555576. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9321-x First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • World Health Organization. (1992). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • *Zappella, M. (2002). Early-onset Tourette syndrome with reversible autistic behaviour: A dysmaturational disorder. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 11, 18–23. doi: 10.1007/s007870200003 First citation in articleCrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Zimmermann, P. & Fimm, B. (1996). Testbatterij voor Aandachtsprestaties (TAP) [Attention Performance Test battery]. Versie 1.02. Handboek. Würselen, Germany: Psytest. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar