1. Intellectual Disabilities
Chapter 4
Intellectual Disabilities
Developed by:
Blanche Jackson Glimps
Tennessee State University

2. Chapter Objectives
List three criteria necessary to qualify for special education services under the IDEA category of intellectual disabilities.
Identify widely used instruments for assessing intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior and state important issues to consider when interpreting and using the results of such tests.
Describe common characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities and explain how these characteristics are relevant to planning and delivering instructions.

3. Chapter Objectives
Identify factors that might account for the wide differences in the prevalence of intellectual disabilities within the school-age population across states and school districts.
Describe key elements of instruction for teaching academic, functional, and self-determination skills to students with intellectual disabilities.
Identify factors that should guide planning and placement decisions for individuals with intellectual disability.

4. IDEA Definition Three criteria for a diagnosis
Significant subaverage intellectual functioning is a score of two or more standard deviations below the mean on standardized intelligence tests.
An individual must also have significant difficulty with tasks of everyday living or adaptive behavior.
The deficits must occur during the developmental period to help distinguish intellectual disabilities from other disabilities.

5. AAIDD Definition AAIDD definition
Intellectual disability is 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.

6. AAIDD Definition
Five assumptions essential to applying the AAIDD 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.

7. AAIDD Definition
Within the individual, limitations often coexist with strengths.
The 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 intellectual disability generally will improve.
Supports are defined as “resources and strategies that aim to promote the development, education, interests, and personal well-being of a person and that enhance individual functioning.”

8. Classification of Intellectual Disabilities
Classification by the degree or level of intellectual impairment as measured by IQ test scores.
Mild to ~70
Moderate to 50-55
Severe to 35-40
Profound Below 20-25

9. Identification and Assessment
Standardized IQ tests are used to assess intelligence
Administered by a school psychologist or other trained professional
Important considerations of IQ tests:
IQ is a hypothetical construct.
IQ tests measures only how a child performs at one point in time on the items included on the test.
IQ tests can be culturally biased.

10. Identification and Assessment
IQ scores can change significantly.
IQ testing is not an exact science.
An IQ score should not be used to determine IEP objectives.
An IQ score should never be used as the sole basis for making decisions regarding special education services.

11. Assessing Adaptive Behavior
Adaptive behavior is “the collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that have been learned by people in order to function in their everyday lives.”
The adaptive skills exhibited by a person with ID are critical factors in determining the supports a student requires for success in school, work, community, and home environments.
Measurement of adaptive behavior has proven difficult because of the relative nature of social adjustment and competence.

12. Assessing Adaptive Behavior
Conceptual-using language for speaking, reading, writing, using number concepts
Social-getting along with others, being a responsible group member, solving social problems, following rules and obeying laws, avoiding being victimized
Practical skills-daily living activities such as dressing, toileting, food preparation, etc.

13. Characteristics Cognitive Functioning and Learning Memory
Learning Rate
Attention
Generalization and Maintenance
Motivation
Adaptive Behavior
Self-Care and Daily Living Skills
Social Relationships
Behavior Excesses and Challenging Behaviors
Positive Attributes

14. Prevalence
During the 2012 to 2013 school year, 430,000 students ages 3 through 21 years received special education under the category of ID.
These students represented 6.7% of all school-age children in special education.
ID is the fifth-largest disability category.
Prevalence rates vary greatly from state to state.

15. Causes
More than 350 risk factors associated with ID have been identified.
35% of cases have a genetic cause
Another third of cases involve external trauma or toxin
Etiology remains unknown for another third of cases
Etiologic factors: prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal

16. Causes Biomedical Causes Down syndrome Fragile X syndrome
Environmental Causes
85% to 90% of people with ID have mild intellectual disabilities
Most show no evidence of organic pathology
Psychosocial disadvantage
Poverty as a factor

17. Prevention
The biggest single preventive strike against ID was the development of the rubella vaccine in 1962.
Advances in medical science have enabled doctors to identify certain genetic influences using the following screening procedures and diagnostic tests
Ultrasonography and Maternal Serum Screening
Amniocentesis
Chronic Villi Sampling
Genetic Counseling
Mandatory Newborn Screening Tests for Inherited and Biomedical Risk Factors

18. Curriculum Goals Academic Curriculum
Content in the basics of reading, writing, and math
Functional Curriculum
Content to increase a student’s independence, self-direction, and enjoyment in school, home, community, and work environments
Self-Determination
Content to help a student set goals, plan and implement a course of action, evaluate their performance, and make adjustments in what they are doing to reach their goals

19. Instructional Methods
Task Analysis
Breaking down complex or multisteps into smaller subtasks
Active Student Response
A detectable lesson-specific response
Transfer of Stimulus Control
Gradually and systematically withdrawing response prompts
Direct and Frequent Measurement
Objective and frequent recording the performance of behavior

20. Instructional Methods
Systematic Feedback Provided by the Teacher
Information provided to students about their performance
Praise
Positive Reinforcement
Instructive Feedback
Acquisition Stage of Learning
Practice Stage of Learning

21. Instructional Methods
Generalization and Maintenance
The use of what is learned across settings and over time
Strategies
Teach the full range of stimulus conditions and response requirements.
Make the instructional settings similar to the generalization setting.
Contrived common stimulus
Community-based instruction
Maximize contact with naturally occurring contingencies reinforcement.

22. Placement Options
During the 2012 to 2013 school year, 17% of students with ID were educated in the general education classroom
27% were served in resource room programs
49% were served in separate classes
7% of students with intellectual disabilities are educated in separate schools, residential facilities, or home/hospital environments

23. Acceptance and Membership
Normalization-the use of progressively more normal settings and procedures to establish and maintain personal behaviors which are as culturally normal as possible.
Social Role Valorization-people’s welfare depends on the social roles they occupy.
Self-determination-special educators can help students with intellectual disabilities identify their goals and provide the instruction and supports that will enable them to pursue those goals.