Understanding Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Understanding Students Understanding Students with Intellectual with Intellectual DisabilitiesDisabilities

Defining Intellectual Defining Intellectual Disabilities (MR)Disabilities (MR)

• AAIDD definition– Intellectual disabilities is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills

– This disability originates before age 18

5 assumptions5 assumptions• Limitations in present functioning must be considered within the context of community environments typical of the individual’s age, peers and culture

• Valid assessment considers cultural and linguistic diversity as well as differences in communication, sensory, motor and behavioral factors.

• Within an individual, limitations often coexist with strengths

• An important purpose of describing limitations is to develop a profile of needed supports

• With appropriate personalized support over a sustained period, the life functioning of the person with mental retardation generally will improve

Intensities of SupportIntensities of Support

• Intermittent: “As needed”• Limited: Consistent, but time limited

• Extensive: Regular involvement (daily), but time limited

• Pervasive: Constant, high intensity, potential life sustaining nature

Characteristics of IDCharacteristics of ID

• Limitations in Intellectual Functioning– Measured through IQ tests

• Memory (short term)• Generalization• Motivation (outer-directedness)• Limitations in Adaptive Behavior– Three domains: Conceptual Skills, Social Skills, Practical Skills

– Self-determination

Evaluating Students with Evaluating Students with Intellectual DisabilitiesIntellectual Disabilities

• Determining the Presence– Evaluate intellectual functioning and adaptive skills• Intellectual functioning: an IQ test• Adaptive Skills: measures such as AAIDD’s Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS)

– Determining the Nature and Extent of General and Special Education and Related Services• For the older students, the Transition Planning Inventory is useful

Partnering for Sp.Ed., and Partnering for Sp.Ed., and related servicesrelated services

• Transition Services key goals– To improve collaboration and links between systems to support student achievement of meaningful school and post-school outcomes

– To promote the student’s self-determination and self-advocacy

– To increase parent participation and involvement

Partnering for Special Partnering for Special Education and Related Education and Related

ServicesServices• Four levels of transition teams– A statement transition team that includes secondary educators, adult service providers, adults with disabilities, and family members

– A communitywide team representing all of the key agencies involved

– A school wide team consisting of key professionals and family members

– An IEP team for each student

Determining Supplementary Determining Supplementary Aides and ServicesAides and Services

• Paraprofessionals– Paraprofessionals can be important– More than 280,000 in the U.S.– Paraprofessionals add appropriate levels of support, they may isolate students, velcroed effect

– Roles and Responsibilities

Planning Other Educational Planning Other Educational NeedsNeeds

• Functional Skills may include:– Applied money concepts– Applied time concepts– Community mobility and access– Grooming and self-care– Leisure activities– Health and safety– Career Education

• Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms

• Instruction in Community Settings

Elementary and Middle Elementary and Middle School StudentsSchool Students

• Self-determined learning models of instruction– 12 student questions– Teacher objectives– Educational support– Three phases:

1.What is my goal?2.What is my plan?3.What have I learned?

Secondary and Transition Secondary and Transition StudentsStudents

• Community Based Instruction– Teaching in the natural environment

– Community-based instructional approaches• Learn it where you’ll need to do it• Teacher it where you want your students to practice it

Making Accommodations for Making Accommodations for AssessmentAssessment

• Accommodations may include:– Dictating responses to someone– Having extended time– Having test items orally read– Clarifying test times