Confirmatory factor analytic investigation of Greenspan's model of personal competence

In the recent revision of the AAMR classification manual, an adapted version of Greenspan's model of personal competence was used to describe personal capabilities. This adapted model differs significantly from the original Greenspan model. In the present study three alternative models of personal competence were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis methods in separate samples of 180 students with mild and 143 students with moderate to severe disabilities. The results supported Greenspan's original model that includes the domains of physical and emotional competence and practical, social, and conceptual intelligence. The AAMR model that includes the construct of adaptive skills was not supported.