© 2012 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Chapter 6 Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

© 2012 Cengage Learning.All rights reserved.

Chapter 6

Children with Intellectual and Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Developmental Disabilities

(IDD)(IDD)


Historical Overview

•Itard

•Sequin

•Montessori

•AAMR

•AAIDD


Definition of Intellectual and Developmentally Disabilities

• IDD is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. The disability originates before age 18.

Source: From American Association on Mental Retardation (2002). Reprinted with permission.


FIVE ASSUMPTIONS ESSENTIAL TO THE APPLICATION OF THE DEFINITION:

• 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 supports over a sustained

period, the life functioning of the person with mental retardation generally will improve.

Source: From American Association on Mental Retardation (2002). Reprinted with permission.


Intensity of Support

• Intermittent refers to support as needed, but not necessarily present at all times.

• Limited refers to support provided on a regular basis for a short period of time.

• Extensive support indicates ongoing and regular involvement.

• The pervasive level of support describes constant high-intensity help provided across environments and involving more staff members than the other categories.


Information Processing Model

Assessment of IDD• Intelligence tests measure the specific skills in which

children with IDD differ, namely, in using memory skills, in associating and classifying information, in reasoning, and in making sound judgments. Intelligence tests have historically been used as an assessment for referral. The most recent tests are the individual tests of intelligence developed by David Wechsler (1974).

• Adaptive skills. If we emphasize the environment of the child, we must look at adaptive behavior. To be considered to have IDD, a person must be significantly deficient in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual skills, social skills, and practical skills. Please see Table 6.3 for more details on the categories of adaptive behaviors© 2012 Cengage Learning.

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Assessment of IDD

• Intellectual development

• Adaptive behavior– Conceptual skills– Social skills– Practical skills


Etiological factors

• Genetic factors • Toxic agents: fas/lead• Infections• Environmental factors

• Down syndrome

• Another single-gene defect, phenylketonuria (PKU), can produce severe IDD.

• Normal growth and development in the embryo and fetus depend on the production of enzymes at the right time and place. When enzymes are not produced or fail to perform their normal functions, a number of unfavorable developmental conditions can result. These conditions are called inborn errors of metabolism. PKU is an absence of a specific enzyme in the liver that leads to a buildup of the amino acid phenylalanine and can cause developmental problems. relationships and delays in communication skills, with tendencies to perseverate, or repeat words or phrases.

• One of the leading genetic causes of intellectual and developmental disabilities is the Fragile X syndrome—so named because of a constriction near the end of the X chromosome. The major effect of the syndrome is impaired intellectual performance, and it also includes consistent problems with social


Infections

• Rubella (German measles), if contracted by a woman during her first trimester of pregnancy, can result in a child with IDD. There also seems to be some evidence that children with HIV infection may develop IDD. Children and adults are also at risk of brain damage from viruses that produce high fevers, which in turn destroy brain cells. Encephalitis is one virus of this type.


Environmental Factors That Affect IDD

• Environment and human interactions play a role in neurological and intellectual development. Studies (Sameroff, 1990) indicate a close correlation between environmental conditions and a child’s intellectual performance.



Characteristics of Students with IDD

• Ability to process information

• Ability to acquire and use language

• Ability to acquire emotional and social skills

Ability to Acquire Emotional and Social Skills

• We now know that emotional and social difficulties can create problems with vocational and community adjustment. Some skills can be attributed to positive social acceptance, such as taking turns, attending, following directions, and so forth. Social competence involves not only the presence of such skills but also the appropriate use of them in social situations. There have been recent calls (Korinek & Polloway, 1993) to emphasize the development of social skills and social competence in the curriculum. Two of the common characteristics ascribed to persons with IDD have been credulity (inability to see through untruthful assertions) and gullibility (the ease with which one can be duped), in other words, the inability to judge the truthfulness of even highly ridiculous statements (Greenspan, 1999).


Educational Adaptations

• a. Adapting Teaching Strategies

• Children with IDD often do not learn from observation or imitation and lack the strategies for attacking new or problem situations. Two of the special teaching strategies that are effective with children with IDD are scaffolding and reciprocal teaching. Cooperative learning activities, problem-solving strategies, self-management strategies, and social skills training can help students with IDD become socially competent and confident. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) are recent techniques in working with behavior problems and disruptions in the classroom. PBIS focuses on the motivation of the behavior and not just on the behavior. The goals of PBIS are to achieve (1) improved academic performance, (2) enhanced social competence, and (3) safe learning and teaching

environments (Office of Special Education Programs, 2002


Five major areas of instruction should make up the program:

• (1) basic academic skills (functional reading and arithmetic skills of time, days, calendar, and numbers 1 to 10),

• (2) language and communication development (memory skills and problem-solving skills at the level of the child’s ability,

• (3) socialization (self-care and family living skills),

• (4) prevocational and vocational skills (good work habits, part-time job placement, and career education), and

• (5) leisure skills.


• Differentiated instruction is an adaptation that can be useful when working with students with IDD. The teacher adjusts the level of difficulty of the task to fit the developmental level of the child. This can also be referred to as tiered assignments, with students working on the same project but all at different levels of difficulty. A student with IDD can therefore participate meaningfully in a group activity.

• . In peer-buddy systems, a classmate may help a classmate with disabilities negotiate the school day; peer support networks help students become part of a caring community; and in circles of friends, an adult facilitator helps potential peer buddies sensitize peers to the friendship needs of students with disabilities (Villa & Thousand, 1995)


• The rapidly developing technology can greatly assist students with IDD. Assistive technology helps the child with disabilities gain access to the information needed for learning. Instructional technology is used to help the student learn that information.

• Computers can be useful for drill and practice, tutorials, simulations, and problem solving. Furthermore, hypertext—text on a computer that will lead you to other relevant references or material upon demand—can be adapted for use with children with IDD. Several low-tech and high-tech assistive technology devices can also facilitate the success of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Congress provided funds for obtaining hardware through the Assistive Technology Act (P.L. 105-394). IDEA (2004) requires that IEP committees take into account technology needs when developing IEPs for the student in question.



Educational Adaptations

• Teacher Strategies

• Learning environment

• Curriculum

• Technology


Transition

• School to work

• School to community

• Independent living

• Family support


ProfilesBob and Carol

• Characteristics– Inter-individual differences– Intra- individual differences


ProfilesBob and Carol

• Strategies – Improving adaptive behavior skills– RTI Tiers– IEP goals– Positive Behavior Supports– Prevocational Skills

Documents

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Chapter 6 Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)