A training program for defendants with intellectual disabilities who are found incompetent to stand trial

In this study, we examined whether a specialized training program, the Slater Method, affects rates at which persons with intellectual disabilities attain competence to stand trial. We reviewed records of all 30 persons with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) clinical diagnoses of mental retardation (in this article, intellectual disability) or borderline intellectual functioning whom courts sent to Eleanor Slater Hospital for competency restoration from 2001 through 2006. Significantly more persons exposed to the Slater Method attained clinical trial competence (61.1%) than did persons who received traditional treatment alone (16.7%). Discussion focuses on potential limitations of the study, ethics-related concerns regarding use of the Slater Method, and directions for future research.