AEC599

Teaching Students with Disabilities: Intellectual

Disabilities 1
Blake C. Colclasure, Andrew C. Thoron, and Sarah E. LaRose2

Introduction The cause of an intellectual disability may not be known for

specific students. However, research suggests that intel-
Students with intellectual disabilities have limitations
lectual disabilities can be caused from genetic conditions,
in cognitive ability and often lack skills in proper social
problems during pregnancy, problems at birth, and other
behavior and self-care. Although there is a broad range in
health problems or diseases during stages of development
cognitive ability of students described as being intellectually
(NICHCY, 2011).
disabled, the National Dissemination Center for Children
with Disabilities (NICHCY) states that such individuals
have an IQ of 70–75 or lower (2011). Agricultural education
Application in the Learning Environment
programs are valuable for students with intellectual dis- Modifications of teaching strategies and content of teaching
abilities because they encourage career success, vocational material will vary by the individual with an intellectual
skills, and social interaction. The agricultural education disability. However, general strategies can be used to help
teacher may need to provide accommodations for students learners with intellectual disabilities. Concepts that are
with intellectual disabilities to ensure that they have equal difficult or complex should be broken down into more
opportunities to be successful in the agricultural education simple components (i.e., chunking). As the student learns
program. each component, additional components can be added
until the larger concept is taught and learned. Modeling is
another useful teaching strategy for students with intellec-
Intellectual Disabilities tual disabilities. Students benefit from seeing the action or
Description of the Disability behavior before they are asked to complete the assignment.
Intellectual disabilities will cause students to develop Many of these students have difficulty with memory recall
more slowly than typical students, and they may come and benefit from application and repetitiveness of material.
to the agricultural education program at varying stages When the student is able to relate to the usefulness of the
of development. Students with intellectual disabilities activity or task, he or she is more likely to be motivated
share two general characteristics: 1) a lack of intellectual in learning the concept. Agricultural education programs
functioning and 2) a lack of adaptive behavior skills (Texas are ideal in this regard because the curriculum is usually
Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2013). Limited applied to real-world contexts in which students are able to
intellectual functioning can result in decreased memory directly apply the activity to their lives.
recall, decreased task generalization, and decreased
self-determination. Poor adaptive behavior may lead to
problems in conceptual, social, and practical skills.

1. This document is AEC599, one of a series of the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication
date August 2016. Reviewed November 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

2. Blake C. Colclasure, alumnus 2017; Andrew C. Thoron, associate professor; and Sarah E. LaRose, alumnus 2017; Department of Agricultural Education
and Communication, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services
only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status,
national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County
Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT possible, students may further benefit by performing each
The classroom environment should be arranged in ways step of the task one at a time, while the procedure is being
that allow students with intellectual disabilities to stay on demonstrated.
task and focused. Special consideration should be given to
the seating arrangements of students. Students with intel- Laboratory environments also provide great opportunities
lectual disabilities should be seated in an area where the for students to learn and socialize with typically developing
teacher and/or teaching aide can easily monitor the student peers. Students with intellectual disabilities should be
and provide quick assistance if needed. Furthermore, the placed in lab groups with peers who will help foster a favor-
student should be seated around peers who are willing to able learning environment. In order to ensure that each
help the student stay on task and not by students who may student in the group participates fully in the activity, assign
promote the student to engage in unacceptable behavior. student roles or have students assign roles for themselves.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities are best taught
in small groups or even in a one-on-one setting. When NON-FORMAL ENVIRONMENT
selecting students for small groups, select students who will The non-formal learning environment can provide students
work well with the intellectually disabled student. with intellectual disabilities with skills in social interaction
and appropriate behavior, in addition to learning experi-
Feedback is very important for all students in the class- ences directly associated with the purpose of the trip. It is
room. When providing feedback to students with intellec- important to create an environment with clear behavior
tual disabilities, make sure the feedback is as immediate as expectations and consequences if the expectations are not
possible. If feedback is not immediate, students may not be followed. A structured environment with a focus on student
able to identify the cause and effect of their behavior, result- safety is essential when traveling. Make sure the student is
ing in a missed learning opportunity (Reynolds, Zupanick, fully aware of bus safety and that the student understands
& Dombeck, 2013). Feedback should be provided directly that he or she must stay with his or her group during the
to the student and can be a combination of verbal and experience.
written praise or reprimand.

Classroom material, such as readings, homework assign-

Conclusion
Students with intellectual disabilities commonly receive
ments, quizzes, and tests, may need to be modified accord-
special education services in public schools. School person-
ing to the student’s IEP team. The challenging curriculum
nel need to identify the severity of the disability and make
in agricultural education should be revised to ensure that it
proper requirements for modification of the curriculum
is taught in a way that students with intellectual disabilities
as well as plan for the student’s transition into adulthood.
are able to comprehend the subject matter. If the challeng-
Agricultural education can play a vital role in strengthening
ing curriculum is taught at a pace too quick for the student,
the social and career readiness needs of students with
the student may become overwhelmed and unable to focus
intellectual disabilities. The agricultural education teacher
on the basic components of the lesson. Prior to teaching
should use teaching strategies that assist students with low
the lesson, plan what you want the student to gain from
cognitive ability. Strategies include, but are not limited to,
the lesson and modify the learning objectives and teaching
modifying challenging curriculum, chunking information,
methods accordingly.
providing visual and kinetic learning experiences, and
pairing students with well-minded peers. The physical
LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT
learning environment should be altered to ensure a safe
The laboratory environment provides many options for
learning environment that is the least distracting to the
students to learn and apply skills in practical situations.
student as possible. For more resources about working
Teaching methods should include concrete examples and
with students with intellectual disabilities see the following
visual demonstration whenever possible. Many students
websites below.
who are intellectually disabled learn best through visual and
kinetic experiences. Pairing pictures, videos, and dem- http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/
onstrations with hands-on learning opportunities works Disabilities/Services%20to%20Children%20with%20Dis-
extremely well. For example, the agricultural education abilities/Disabilities/disabl_fts_00014_061105.html
teacher may provide step-by-step pictures and a demonstra-
tion of how to properly complete plant propagation prior to http://aaidd.org
allowing the students to complete the task on their own. If

Teaching Students with Disabilities: Intellectual Disabilities 2

http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interven-
tions/special-needs/teaching-children-developmental-
disabilities-classroom-ideas

References
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. (2013).
Intellectual Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.
projectidealonline.org/v/intellectual-disabilities/

Reynolds, T., Zupanick, C.E., & Dombeck, M. (2013).

Effective Teaching Methods for People with Intellectual
Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhelp.net/
articles/effective-teaching-methods-for-people-with-
intellectual-disabilities/

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabili-

ties. (2011). Intellectual Disability. NICHCY Disability Fact
Sheet No. 8. Retrieved from http://www.parentcenterhub.
org/repository/intellectual/

Teaching Students with Disabilities: Intellectual Disabilities 3