What is Intellectual Disability?

Intellectual Disability describes "significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance" (Gargiulo & Bouck, 2018, p. 591).

Characteristics

of

Intellectual Disability

Social

Difficulty understanding social rules
Difficulty understanding the consequences of their actions
Difficulty with communication due to speech or language impairments

Artistic
Creative
Resilient
Certain conditions that cause Intellectual Disability are correlated with friendliness and positive outlook:
- Down's Syndrome
- Williams Syndrome
- Willi-Prader Syndrome

Strengths

Academic

Difficulty understanding abstract ideas
Impaired reasoning and problem-solving abilities
Difficulty learning from experience
Difficulty understanding cause and effect
Slow processing speed

Physical

Delayed or impaired physical development
Deficits in fine and gross motor skills
Poor prioperception

Affective

May have socially inappropriate facial expressions or verbalizations in response to stimuli
Disability may affect physical characteristics if caused by a congenital syndrome
Disability may be causes by a disorder that impairs motor function, resulting in difficulty controlling facial muscles

Cognitive

IQ score below 70
Significant deficits in functional and adaptive skills
High incidence of co-morbid disabilities

Levels of Severity

People with Intellectual Disability (ID), can have mild, moderate, severe, or profound ID.
The greatest percentage of people with ID are diagnosed with a mild form. Mild ID presents in slower cognitive functioning, but they are able to learn strategies to help them adapt to daily life with minimal supports.
People with Moderate ID can learn functional strategies, but need moderate support.
People with severe ID have significant developmental delays and difficulty communicating. Due to their level of disability, people with sever ID need supervision and home care.
People with profound ID have severe congenital syndromes that impair communication, physical and cognitive functioning. These individuals must live in a setting that provides constant supervision and help with basic self-care.

Incidence

It is estimated that 6% of K-12 students who qualify for services have an Intellectual Disability (ID).

Educational

Implications

50% of students with ID spend 40% or less of their school day in a mainstream classroom.
Students with ID learn best when information is broken down into small segments.
Reteaching items frequently, and using varied educational strategies, can help those with ID retain information.

Student Questions

Grades K-4:
- Will I make friends?
- What are the rules in class?
- Will people be nice to me?
- Will someone help me find the bathroom?
Grades 5-8:
- Will I be in a class with my friends?
- Can you help me relearn this?
- Why do I have to go to a pull-out class?
Grades 9-12:
- Can I retake this test?
- Will I be able to join the class on a field trip?
- Who can I talk to if I’m feeling anxious?

Parent Questions

Who do I talk to about getting an Individualized Education Plan for my child?
Are there transitional supports for after high school?
How do I get my child screened for ID?
What therapies are available in school for my child?
Are there work programs in the community for my child when they are done with high school?
Who do I go to if i have concerns about my child's interactions with their peers?

Teacher Questions

Where do I get additional training for working with students with ID?
What assistive technology do I have available to help me differentiate instruction for students with ID?
What are the most common co-morbid issues for students with ID?
What administrative and additional support do I have to help me support my students with ID?
What transitional resources can I give to parents for their child with ID?
How can I model tolerance and inclusion in my classroom?