Thank you for publishing Beail's (2003) perspective on what works for people with mental retardation. Beail made valid arguments for both his conclusion that the absence of evidence in support of cognitive behavior therapy does not necessarily indicate that it is an ineffective approach and in his advocacy for a full range of mental health treatment for people with mental retardation and mental health needs.
There was, however, an essential factor absent from Beail's (2003) discussion, namely, that the unique presentation of many people with intellectual disabilities often requires special clinical skills in both diagnosis and treatment (Bouras, Kon, & Drummond, 1993; Bregman, 1991; Campbell & Malone, 1991; Criscione, Kastner, Walsh, & Nathanson, 1993; Dosen, 1988; Evangelista, 1988; Hurley, 1996; Jacobson, 1990; Sovner, 1986). This does not necessarily indicate that individuals with intellectual disabilities cannot benefit from most treatment methods. Rather, clinicians...