INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY (ID)

OVERVIEW
An intellectual disability, formerly referred to as “mental retardation” is
characterized by a combination of deficit in both cognitive functioning and
adaptive behaviour. The severity of the intellectual disability is determined by
the discrepancy between the Individuals capabilities in learning and the
expectation of the social environment.
Intellectual disability (ID), once called mental retardation, is characterized by
below-average intelligence or mental ability and a lack of skills necessary for
day-to-day living. People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills,
but they learn them more slowly. There are varying degrees of intellectual
disability, from mild to profound.

BACKGROUND
Some of the very first references to intellectual disability date back to the ancient
Egyptians, where this concept is mentioned in the Papyrus of Thebes over 3500
years ago. The ancient Romans and Greeks viewed that children are born with
an intellectual disability because the gods are angry. Many of these children were
simply left to die in the wild as a result. Of course, exceptions did occur. For
instance, if the child was born to a wealthy Roman family, they had some legal
rights and even guardians. But in the middle Ages, people with intellectual
disabilities were sometimes employed (willingly or not) as jesters whose sole
purpose was to entertain the upper class.
Prior to the 1700s, the way societies treated people with intellectual disabilities
differed. Those that had a mild intellectual disability may not have been viewed
any differently from anyone else, at least not in the legal or clinical sense. Those
with severe intellectual disabilities were sometimes thought of as people who
could receive divine revelation. Some of the people who had these more severe
conditions may have received care from their family or even a monastery. Other,
less fortunate people with ID, were sometimes put into 'idiot cages' in town centers
to probably serve as entertainment for people under the official justification of
keeping the person with the ID 'out of trouble'.
It wasn't until the 1700s and 1800s that more serious and suitable forms of
interventions for people with intellectual disabilities began. For example, Edouard
Seguin established a program in Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, France. This program
utilized behavioral management techniques and individualized instruction for
people with such disorders.
 DISCUSSION
What is intellectual disability?
Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. These areas are:
 Intellectual functioning. Also known as IQ, this refers to a person’s ability to
learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems.
 Adaptive behaviors. These are skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as
being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care
of oneself.
IQ (intelligence quotient) is measured by an IQ test. The average IQ is 100, with the
majority of people scoring between 85 and 115. A person is considered
intellectually disabled if he or she has an IQ of less than 70 to 75.

To measure a child’s adaptive behaviors, a specialist will observe the child’s skills
and compare them to other children of the same age. Things that may be
observed include how well the child can feed or dress himself or herself; how
well the child is able to communicate with and understand others; and how the
child interacts with family, friends, and other children of the same age.
Intellectual disability is thought to affect about 1% of the population. Of those
affected, 85% have mild intellectual disability. This means they are just a little
slower than average to learn new information or skills. With the right support,
most will be able to live independently as adults.

What are the signs of intellectual disability in children?

There are many different signs of intellectual disability in children. Signs may appear
during infancy, or they may not be noticeable until a child reaches school age. It
often depends on the severity of the disability. Some of the most common signs of
intellectual disability are:

 Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking late

 Talking late or having trouble with talking
 Slow to master things like potty training, dressing, and feeding himself or
herself
 Difficulty remembering things
 Inability to connect actions with consequences
 Behavior problems such as explosive tantrums
 Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking
In children with severe or profound intellectual disability, there may be other health
problems as well. These problems may include seizures, mood
disorders (anxiety, autism, etc.), motor skills impairment, vision problems, or hearing
problems

What causes intellectual disability?

Anytime something interferes with normal brain development, intellectual disability
can result. However, a specific cause for intellectual disability can only be
pinpointed about a third of the time.

The most common causes of intellectual disability are:

 Genetic conditions. These include things like Down syndrome and fragile X
syndrome.
 Problems during pregnancy. Things that can interfere with
fetal brain development include alcohol or drug use, malnutrition, certain
infections, or preeclampsia.
 Problems during childbirth. Intellectual disability may result if a baby is
deprived of oxygen during childbirth or born extremely premature.
 Illness or injury. Infections like meningitis, whooping cough, or
the measles can lead to intellectual disability. Severe head injury, near-
drowning, extreme malnutrition, infections in the brain, exposure to toxic
substances such as lead, and severe neglect or abuse can also cause it.
 None of the above. In two-thirds of all children who have intellectual
disability, the cause is try new things and encourage your child to do things
by unknown.

Can intellectual disability be prevented?

Certain causes of intellectual disability are preventable. The most common of these
is fetal alcohol syndrome. Pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. Getting proper
prenatal care, taking a prenatal vitamin, and getting vaccinated against certain
infectious diseases can also lower the risk that your child will be born with
intellectual disabilities.
In families with a history of genetic disorders, genetic testing may be
recommended before conception.
Certain tests, such as ultrasound and amniocentesis, can also be performed
during pregnancy to look for problems associated with intellectual disability.
Although these tests may identify problems before birth, they cannot correct
them.

How is intellectual disability diagnosed?

Intellectual disability may be suspected for many different reasons. If a baby has
physical abnormalities that suggest a genetic or metabolic disorder, a variety of
tests may be done to confirm the diagnosis. These include blood tests, urine tests,
imaging tests to look for structural problems in the brain, or electroencephalogram
(EEG) to look for evidence of seizures.
In children with developmental delays, the doctor will perform tests to rule out other
problems, including hearing problems and certain neurological disorders. If no
other cause can be found for the delays, the child will be referred for formal
testing.

What can I do to help my intellectually disabled child?

Steps to help your intellectually disabled child include:

 Learn everything you can about intellectual disabilities. The more you know,
the better advocate you can be for your child.
 Encourage your child’s independence. Let your child himself or herself.
Provide guidance when it’s needed and give positive feedback when your
child does something well or masters something new.
 Get your child involved in group activities. Taking an art class or participating
in Scouts will help your child build social skills.
 Stay involved. By keeping in touch with your child’s teachers, you’ll be able
to follow his or her progress and reinforce what your child is learning at
school through practice at home.
 Get to know other parents of intellectually disabled children. They can be a
great source of advice and emotional support.

CONCLUSION
People with intellectual disabilities can live meaningful, satisfying, and
productive lives, within their own communities, when provided adequate
supports. We salute the courage and dedication of families and other
advocates who have tirelessly worked to improve the lives of these deserving
citizens.
 MULTIPLE DISABILITY

OVERVIEW
According to Deutsch-Smith, people with multiple disabilities require
ongoing and intensive supports across their school years and typically across
their lives. For some, these supports may well be in only one life activity, but for
many of these individuals, supports are needed for access and participation in
mainstream society. Supports are necessary because most individuals with
multiple disabilities require assistance in many adaptive areas. No single
definitions covers all the conditions associated with severe and multiple
disabilities. Schools usually link the 2 areas (severe disabilities and multiple
disabilities) into a single category for students who have the most significant
cognitive, physical, or communication impairments (Turnbull, Turnbull, &
Wehmeyer).

BACKGROUND
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Multiple Disabilities
represent approximately 2.0 percent of all students having a classification in
special education. Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as
mental retardation-blindness or mental retardation-orthopedic impairment), the
combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot
be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the
impairments. Multiple disabilities does not include deaf-blindness.

The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special

education services in the 2003-2004 school year. Of that number, roughly 2.2%,
or 132,333 students, received special education services based on a
classification of multiple disabilities.
 DISCUSSION
As the term suggests, this disability category encompasses a combination of
conditions that may impact a student's ability to learn and achieve success in
an academic setting. Students with severe disabilities are typically included
under this umbrella terminology.

Multiple disabilities are defined in one regulation as "concomitant impairments

(such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic
impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational
problems that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs
solely for one of the impairments.

This disability category includes those students with the most severe physical,
cognitive, and communicative impairments. It should be noted however, that
these students can also have average or even above-average intelligence. The
common connection between students in this category is not just that they have
two or more coexisting impairments, but that they generally need extensive
support across any number of skill areas.

Characteristics
The multiple disability category represents a wide range of specific conditions
and impairments. The best places for a classroom teacher to learn about their
individual student with multiple disabilities are past assessments and
Individualized Education Programs. The next step in learning about the student is
to form a relationship with the student's parents, as they are really the greatest
experts on the capabilities of their child.

However, children with multiple disabilities will typically share deficits in five
distinct areas of development: intellectual functioning, adaptive skills, motor
skills, sensory functioning, and communication skills.
Impact on Learning
Most of the students served under the multiple disability category do have some
level of cognitive impairment, but the specific diagnosis of this impairment can
often be ambiguous or undetermined. The ability levels of these students can
vary widely, from functional academics to basic life skills. However, most of
these students are still quite capable of learning at their own level when
provided the appropriate supports and materials.

While developing age-appropriate adaptive skills is a challenge for students with

multiple disabilities, their ability to learn can help provide them with some level
of independence in a number of life skills areas. Appropriate educational
programming for these students should include self-care and self-advocacy
components, as these skills are absolutely essential for their inclusion in the
community.

Deficits in motor development can impact independence in these self-care

areas and can also force limitations on mobility and access to the environment.
These deficits may be a result of poor muscle tone or an unavoidable aspect of
the specific condition. Physical therapy in conjunction with orthopedic supports
may be necessary to ensure independent travel.

Sensory impairments may also be present in students with multiple disabilities,

and knowing the specifics of their hearing and/or visual impairment is absolutely
essential to the development of an appropriate instructional program. Refer to
the specific category sections on these impairments for more detailed
information on the potential impact on learning caused by sensory impairments.

Perhaps most importantly, students with multiple disabilities have deficits in the
area of communication, making it difficult for them to communicate their wants,
needs, and pains to those around them. This limitation can be devastating to
the emotional and intellectual development of the child, but can be addressed
through the use of assistive technology and augmentative communication
systems.

Teaching Strategies
Determining an appropriate educational program for a student with multiple
disabilities can be a daunting task due to the variety of pervasive supports
needed by these students. The planning process should be a multidisciplinary
process, including parents, teachers, physical therapists, assistive technology
teachers, and any number of additional support staff. Of course, at the center
of the planning process should be the student, and the strengths and desires of
the student should guide the entire process. Specific steps to success need to
be identified, and timelines set for each educational objective. In addition,
resources and supports needed for the student to achieve his goals should be
defined and addressed.

One area of support that can be particularly effective for all involved is peer
tutoring. Peer tutoring has been proven to have positive results for students with
multiple disabilities in a number of separate research studies. However, care
must be taken that the tutoring is not a one-way relationship, but is reciprocal.
The student with multiple disabilities should also be able to provide something to
the tutoring process, even if it is a simple social behavior. Some training on both
sides will be necessary to make this a fruitful support system.

Assistive Technology
Assistive technology can be an effective tool for students with multiple
disabilities in overcoming functional and communicative limitations. A variety of
evaluations should be conducted by qualified professionals to determine the
appropriate technological support for the needs of the individual student.
Positioning, language, motor skills, and sensory issues all need to be considered
in implementing the most effective support system. Both the environment and
the specific tasks to be addressed should also guide the selection of the most
appropriate assistive technology.

One particularly promising technological support can be found in the handheld

personal computer. Using software such as the Visual Assistant, teachers and
service providers can program a number of different skill sets and instructions to
be accessible to the student at any time. These technology can include visual
information in the form of digital pictures or line drawings, as well as audio
messages and instructions. This can be instrumental in helping students gain
independence in the community, such as during vocational training activities.
These handheld computers use a touch screen, making them more accessible
to students with motor control issues. Best of all, they are portable, and the
students can take the computer with them into nearly any setting. They can also
be quite effective in supporting communication with unfamiliar individuals,
making them an excellent instrument for use in an augmentative
communication system.

CONCLUSION
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching students with multiple
disabilities. Their needs are so varied that great care is required when choosing
the best strategy for support. As their teacher, it's your job to realistically assess
their condition and decide on the most beneficial course of action. But
remember: you're not alone in this challenge. Supporting these students is
definitely a team effort. Consult with the other professionals working with your
student, communicate with the parents and support agencies, and, together,
decide how you can be of most service.

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 SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES

OVERVIEW
Many children with LD have struggle with reading. The difficulties often begin
with individual sounds, or phonemes. Students may have problems with rhyming,
and pulling words apart into their individual sounds (segmenting) and putting
individual sounds together to form words (blending). This makes it difficult to
decode words accurately, which can lead to trouble with fluency and
comprehension. As students move through the grades, more and more of the
information they need to learn is presented in written (through textbooks) or oral
(through lecture) form. This exacerbates the difficulties they have succeeding in
school. PROCESSING DISORDER WHERE STUDENTS ARE UNABLE TO FULLY REASON,
SPELL, READ, DO MATH PROBLEMS, WRITE OR LISTEN.

BACKGROUND
 DISCUSSION
Definition
Specific learning disabilities can be defined by a disorder in one or more of the
basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or
written language. This disorder may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,
think, read, write, spell, and/or to perform mathematical calculations. The term
includes such conditions as perceptual impairments, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning
problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor impairments;
intellectual disabilities; emotional disturbance; or environmental, cultural, or
economic disadvantage.

In determining the existence of a specific learning disability, the following must

be present:

1. Does not achieve at the proper age and ability levels in one or more of
several specific areas when provided with appropriate learning experiences
and age-appropriate instruction in one or more of the following areas:
A. oral expression
B. listening comprehension
C. written expression
D. basic reading skill
 E. reading fluency skills
F. reading comprehension
G. mathematics calculations
H. mathematics reasoning
2. Does not make adequate progress to meet age or grade-level standards in
one or more of the prior areas identified when utilizing the process of the
child's response to empirically based interventions; or a pattern of
weaknesses and strengths have been determined to exist in performance,
achievement or both, relative to age, state-approved grade-level
standards, or intellectual development, as determined by certified
assessment professionals.

Prevalence
Specific learning disabilities are considered a high-incidence disability. The U.S.
Department of Education reports that there are over 2.8 million students being
served for specific learning disabilities. This number of students is approximately
47.4% of all children receiving special education services

Characteristics
Students with learning disabilities are very heterogeneous, meaning that no two
students possess the identical profile of strengths and weaknesses. The concept
of learning disabilities covers an extremely wide range of characteristics. One
student may have a deficit in just one area while another may exhibit deficits in
numerous areas, yet both may be labelled as learning disabled.

Over time, parents, educators, and other professionals have identified a wide
variety of characteristics associated with learning disabilities. These include:

 Academic problems
 Disorders of attention
 Poor motor abilities
 Psychological process deficits and information-processing problems
 Lack of cognitive strategies needed for efficient learning
 Oral language difficulties
 Reading difficulties
 Written language problems
 Mathematical disorders
 Social skill deficits

Not all students will exhibit these characteristics, and many pupils who
demonstrate these same behaviors are successful in the classroom. For students
with a learning disability, it is the quantity, intensity, and duration of these
behaviors that lead to problems in school and elsewhere. It should also be
noted that boys are four times more likely to be labeled with a learning disability
than girls. The reason for this has not yet been determined by researchers.

Teaching Strategies
Students with learning disabilities are often served in regular classes by general
education teachers with the support of a special educator. As with the
education of any student with a disability, it is important that the general and
special educators collaborate effectively in order to develop a set of teaching
strategies for the student.

Assistive Technology
Students with learning disabilities have a variety of difficulties in school. In order
for many students with learning disabilities to be successful in school, assistive
technology devices are used to accommodate the student's learning. Here are
a few of the types of assistive technologies used for students with learning
disabilities:

Reading:
 Text to Speech software
 OCR software applications
 Screen Reading software
 Audio Books

Writing:
 Portable Word Processors
 Auditory Word Processing Software
 Word Prediction Programs
 Graphical Word Processors
 On-Screen Keyboards
 Voice Recognition Software
 Organizational/Outlining/Drafting Software
 Online Writing Support

There are also an array of software packages that address specific academic
areas (such as mathematics), daily living skills, and social skills.

CONCLUSION

RESOURCES
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APPENDICES
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/intellectual-disability-mental-
retardation#3