Intellectual Disabilities or Mental Retardation

Intellectual Disabilities or Mental

Retardation By: Esther Suh, Chris Gutman,

Camron Meehan

Definition of Intellectual Disabilities:

impaired intellectual functioning, limited adapted behavior, need for supports, and initial occurrence before age 18

- American Association of Mental Retardation (AAMR, or AAIDD)

Historical Overvieweugenics: worldwide movement of over 100 years ago that sought to protect society form false threats of people who are different

Richard Dugdale, 1877—member of the New York Prison Association made a story about the Juke family to show that people with cognitive disabilities were dangerous

Definitionsnormalization: making available ordinary patterns of life and conditions of everyday living

dignity of risk: principle that taking ordinary risks and chances is part of the human experience; people with intellectual disabilities should experience life’s challenges and adventures but not overprotected

Challenges That Intellectual Disabilities Present

their disability makes learning more difficult than is for typical learners, but they also face bias and prejudice

EXAMPLE Who Should Survive (1971) movie showed how a Down syndrome infant was allowed death because a surgery was withheld, leaving a 15-day old baby to die of starvation

Best Buddies Programprogram that pairs college students with people with intellectual disabilities to build relationships, friendships, and opportunities for supports

launched by Anthony Shriver who saw a need to create opportunities for students without disabilities (middle school to college) to create friendships and supports for others faced with cognitive challenges

Best Buddies (continued)

E-buddies, a way to empower self-determination! Also a way for students to become more aware with the computer!

http://www.bestbuddies.org/intellectual-disabilities



3 major components to describe intellectual disabilities:

1. Intellectual Functioning

2. Adaptive Behavior

3. System of Supports

Intellectual Functioninglevel of cognitive ability determined by clinical judgment or by a score on a standardized test of intelligence (mild, moderate, severe, and profound intellectual disabilities )

Adaptive Behaviorperformance of everyday life skills expected of adults (conceptual, social, and practical skills)

http://www.aaidd.org/content_100.cfm?navID=21



System of Supportsnetwork of supports everyone develops to function optimally in life

4 types of supports: (1)natural (2)nonpaid (3)generic (4)specialized

Prevalence of Students with

Intellectual Disabilities

Prevalence• less than 1% of all students are identified &

served through OSEP’s mental retardation category

• Yet, 3% of IQ scores fall below the cutoff scores for intellectual disabilities

Why is the identification rate one-third of the predicted rate? There 3 reasons.

Prevalence: 3 reasons for inconsistency

i. stigma associated w/ disability causes reluctance

ii. Not all students with cognitive disabilities are linked with intellectual disabilities (i.e. multiple-severe disabilities).

iii. Concerns of overrepresentation from students of color leads to placement in other categories

Prevalence: Overrepresentation

• African American and Native American students are overrepresented in this category– African American students represent 12% of student population,

but represent 33% of students identified– Native American students represent .08% total, and 1.28%

identified w/ mental retardation• It is important to always be alert for signs of

overrepresentation/disproportionate identification of diverse students seeking special education services

Prevalence: A reflection of poverty?

• Could these rates of overrepresentation reflect a relationship between poverty and those with intellectual disabilities– If so, then why are Hispanics not

overrepresented (14% of gen. pop., 14% in the category of mental retardation

• Poverty, its resources, and lack of care do lead, at times, to intellectual disabilities.

Causes & Prevention

Causes & Prevention

• As many as one-third of causes are unknown

• However, when a cause is known, early intervention helps prevent or reduce the severity of the condition

Causes & Prevention:Categorizing Causes

• When identifying a cause, one way to group them is by time of onset (when the cause first occurred)

• Prenatal: occurring before birth– Genetics/hereditary, toxins taken during pregnancy,

neural tube defects

• Perinatal : causes occurring during the birth process

– Birth injuries include oxygen deprivation, umbilical cord accidents, or obstetrical trauma

• Postnatal: often due to the environment– Toxins, child abuse & neglect, accidents.


• A second way is by specific reasonGenetic or Hereditary

Fragile X syndrome: inherited, caused by a mutation on the X chromosome

Most prevalent hereditary cause of intellectual disabilities Effects 1 in 4,000 males, 1 in 8,000 females http://www.fragilex.org/html/home.shtml

Down syndrome: chromosomal disorder of too few or too many chromosomes

Most common type is trisomy 21: the 21st set of chromosomes contains an extra chromosome (3)

http://www.fragilex.org/html/home.shtml


• some genetic causes are influenced by the environment– Phenylketonuria (PKU): Hereditary condition

where a person cannot metabolize phenylalanine• Toxic levels of this can damage the brain, causing intellectual disabilities• Warrants a strict diet (eliminating

the amino acid-often found in milk)


• Environment also aids causes developed through toxins Toxins are prenatal and postnatal causes of

intellectual disabilities Lead poisoning

Caused from lead from gasoline emissions and lead-based paint

Though no longer manufactured in the U.S., Children may come in contact with it by: playing in contaminated dirt, breathing or eating lead from a paint source

Toys made from outside countries have had lead in their plastic or paint as well


• What is the most preventable cause of cognitive problems?– Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders


• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders• Results from the mother consuming alcohol

during pregnancy• Includes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) & fetal

alcohol effects (FAE)• Challenges of these disorders include learning

problems, language impairments, generalizing from task to task

• Behavioral issues include: hyperactivity, inattention, low self-esteem, aggression, impulsivity


2 things to remember:

1. Toxins abound in our environment

2. Toxic exposures are preventable

Causes & Prevention:Prevention

• Many intellectual disabilities are prevented today that couldn’t be prevented 30 years ago– i.e. medical technology

advancements and public health care access• Vaccines, immunizations • Screenings

Causes & Prevention:Prevention

– Educating parents on proper prenatal and child care• Stay healthy,

proper vitamins• Helps prevent

neural tube defects

– Spinal cord defects, such as spina bifida (back is not closed along spine)

Assessment

Assessment There are 3 components whenassessing individuals with

intellectualdisabilities:

– Adaptive behavior– Intellectual functioning– Need for supports

Assessment:Why?

Proper assessment helps to:• identify the individual• guide the

development of their instructional programs, and

• determine the interventions & intensity of their services.

Assessment:How?

• IQ tests are the most common forms of assessment (although banned in some states due to the improper categorizing of diverse students)

• More innovative methods include:– Response to intervention that use frequent progress

monitoring– Curriculum-based measurements (CBM)– Direct measures of student performance (portfolios)

Assessment:How?

• Students with intellectual disabilities rarely partake in general education programs, however, they have a high rate of partaking in an alternative curriculum:– Some students with disabilities, with

accommodations, take standard state/district wide assessments.

– Some participate in general education curriculum, with reduced achievement standards • usually students with mild to moderate

intellectual disabilities

Assessment:How?

• The third group are excused from the required assessments through IDEA ’04 and the No Child Left Behind Act– These students with more severe intellectual

disabilities use alternate assessments: monitoring yearly progress through portfolios, etc. to meet IEP goals

– focus is more on function or life skills curriculum

Note: • the use of “mental age” to explain the intellectual

functioning of a person is misrepresented and outdated. A man who is age 35, with an IQ level at the range of what

a 9 year old has, DOES NOT mean he is like a 9 year old. physical attributes, interests, and experiences are

similar amongst their adult peers, and are not consistent with young peers

Mental Age overestimates intellectual skills obtained through growth

Avoid referring to a person’s abilities through mental age

Early Intervention:Why?

• Early intervention can reduce or prevent the severity of cognitive disabilities

• Preschool experience and early intervention is essential towards overall success in school and different aspects of life.

• Inclusive education, the interaction between students with disabilities and those without, are crucial and beneficial to the success of the education of students with intellectual disabilities

Early Intervention:Early Identification

– Students often enter their education already identified as having disabilities• Biological causes are usually identified

earlier in life• Early intervention programs applied

– Students are identified during their early school years if falling behind cognitively from their peers in areas such as developing speech, language, or motor skills

Early Intervention:How?

• This leads to a prereferral, often from the teacher or another professional– The prereferral stage requires proper

assessment through innovative methods in order to apply proper identification of a student’s needs.

Early Intervention:How?

• To help with proper identification, adaptive skills and behaviors are assessed to help identify if the individual can meet everyday skills expected at their age– interviews and observations are common form– Assessment of adaptive skills important to help

gauge a student’s strengths and needs for support• Correct diagnosis helps pave the way to a child’s

success, setting them up with a nurturing, rich environment filled with resources and supports

Teaching Students with Disabilities

Teaching Students with Disabilities

Mild cognitive problems

Many students receive modifications- assignments or tests are reduced or altered, while participating in the general education class

Many people with intellectual disabilities do not make choices throughout their life, so they do not have the same self-determination factor as their peers

Teaching Students with Disabilities (continued)

Self-determination will help students later in life, get a job ex

There are many ways to foster self-determination in a student

Ex. have student involved in own IEP

E-buddies, a way to empower self-determination! Also a way for students to become more aware with the computer!

TransitionPrepared for adulthood= success

Time throughout the school years are devoted to transition skills

“Functional curriculum-skills used in daily life before and after gradation”

This curriculum focuses on life skills, such as telling time, something that will help students of special education operate daily on their own after graduation

Transition (continued)Quality of life should be high!

Students with intellectual disabilities need to be able to work! This creates high self-esteem

Many programs such as vocational rehabilitation, and supported employment, and a job coach! Available!

Friendships need to be addressed in special education!

Many people with intellectual disabilities are now living in-group homes! The optimal number for group homes is “6”

CollaborationSpecial education teachers=advocate

It is extremely important for students of special education to get involved in the community

Adapted physical education helps involve students in community, so does recreational therapists

Partnership with Families and Communities

Siblings play a large role in the development of people with intellectual disabilities

Do not assume that it is a bad thing for a person with a disability to have a sibling

Research has shown that people with a person with a disability wants more advice on how to work as a family.

Focus Questionsi. Briefly describe the 3 major components of

Intellectual Disabilities.ii. Are intellectual disabilities secluded to one

particular group? Please briefly explain the diversity of intellectual disabilities.

iii. List 3 causes and prevention methods to these causes (explain the importance of early intervention)

iv. What is the importance of Transition Education?v. Describe some of the important roles and

responsibilities for teachers of students with intellectual disabilities.

Informational Links:

http://www.intellectualdisability.info/

http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/MentalRetardation.pdf

http://www.intellectualdisability.info/




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Intellectual Disabilities or Mental Retardation