Learners with Intellectual and

Developmental Disabilities
Group A
Tyrone, Meagan Evangelho, Kelly Schneider
 ● Formerly known as Mental Retardation,

Intellectual Intellectual Disability hinders a learner’s

intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.
The disability originates before the age of 18.

Disability ○ Intellectual functioning: a learner’s intelligence;

e.g. problem solving, reasoning, and learning.
○ Adaptive behavior: a body of learned skills,

?
notably, conceptual, social, and practical
(however, there isn’t a universally accepted
definition of the learned skills).
■ Conceptual: literacy, language, & time.
■ Social: self-esteem, social problem
solving, & following rules.
■ Practical: safety, schedule/routine,
personal care.
 Classification relies on a learner’s IQ range to categorize their

Classification
disability level.

Clinical term IQ

of Borderline intellectual

functioning
71 up to 84

Intellectual Mild 50-55 up to around 70

Disability
Moderate 35-45 up to around 50-55

Severe 20-25 up to around 35-40

Profound Below 20-25

 Intellectual disability impacts about 1-3% of the population

Causes & There isn’t one specific factor that causes intellectual
disability, rather intellectual disability can happen as a result
of a variety of factors such as:

Prevalence of
● Infections (present at birth or occurring after birth)
● Chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down syndrome)
● Environmental
● Metabolic (such as hyperbilirubinemia, or very high

Intellectual
bilirubin levels in babies)
● Nutritional (such as malnutrition)
● Toxic (intrauterine exposure to alcohol, cocaine,
amphetamines, and other drugs)
● Trauma (before and after birth)

Disability ● Unexplained (doctors do not know the reason for the

person's intellectual disability)

Lastly, causes of intellectual disability are not solely in

relation to genetic and biological factors. In a great portion
of cases, approximately 50%, the cause of the disability can
not determined.
Characteristics of a disability

What is a Disability- characterized by a combination of deficits in both cognitive functioning and adaptive
behavior.

The severity of the intellectual disability is determined by the discrepancy between the individual's capabilities
in learning and in and the expectations of the social environment.

Classification: The large majority of individuals considered intellectually disabled are within an IQ of 50 to
70. For many, there is no specific known cause of their developmental delays.

In class juxtaposed to life outside of school: Students labeled as mildly intellectually disabled demonstrate
delays in cognitive, social, and adaptive behavior skills within typical classroom settings. Often when they are
in different settings, these same individuals function quite capably both socially and vocationally.

Kelly Schneider - 1
 Frequently occurring characteristics of students with
learning disabilities:

Characteristics: 1. There is a discrepancy between oral and written work.

Behavioral and 2. The student generally works slowly in comparison to her/his

observable signs peers.

3. The student is unable to sustain concentration.

4. The student has a poor ability to memorize.

5. The student has difficulty following directions, especially oral

directions or directions of more than one step.

6. The student frequently asks for directions to be repeated.

7. The student has little confidence.

8. The student is self conscious about her/his work.

Kelly Schneider-2
9. The student may be able to explain things orally but not in
writing.
Keep in Mind…
A learning disability affects the manner in which individuals
express or retain information. It manifests in: oral expression,
auditory processing, written expression, reading decoding,
reading comprehension, or math calculations.

Experience difficulty with: sustained attention, time

management, social interactions and executive functions.

Learning disabilities are cross-cultural

Learning disabilities dependant on the environment (flux)

Learning disabilities are frustrating for both the student and

the teacher (team teach, special ed., resources, tests for
measurement, wrap around service systems)

Kelly Schneider - 3
Social and
Negative self-esteem, even when others offer
support and encouragement.

Emotional Reinforce a cycle of failure and negativity.

Characteristics Strong feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, or

shame can lead to psychological difficulties such as
anxiety and depression.

Rejected by their peers.

Students with LDs are also at risk of experiencing

bullying

Kelly Schneider- 4
 ● Developing a special skill or talent that helps

How can you help

students to be successful and appreciated for
their contributions.

these risk factors? ● Supportive adults outside the home, including

educators who foster trust and act as
gatekeepers for the future.
● Recognize the student's specific areas of
strength (competence) and need, and look for
(or create) teachable moments to model and
reinforce positive skills.
● Teach social skills proceed in small steps,
reinforcement and praise),
● Find ways to build the student's self-concept,
achieve and sustain a level of appreciation and
positive status among their peers.
● Try to minimize competition and focus instead
on cooperative learning by creating
opportunities for shared learning and joint
Kelly Schneider 5 activities.
 Elwyn: non-profit human services organization recognized nationally and
internationally as experts in the education and care of individuals with special

Organizations that challenges and disadvantages. Their goal is to help people with special needs
maximize their potential and live happier, meaningful lives through residential

can offer help: services, education, rehabilitation, and vocational and employment services.

National Association for Down Syndrome:NADS is the oldest organization

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental in the country serving individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
Disabilities
Their mission is to ensure that all persons with Down syndrome have the
AAIDD promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective
opportunity to achieve their potential in all aspects of community life by
practices and universal human rights for people with intellectual and
offering information, support, and advocacy.
developmental disabilities

TASH (formerly The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps)

Best Buddiesa nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
civil rights organization for, and of, people with intellectual disabilities,
enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by
autism, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities and other conditions that make full
providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated
integration a challenge. They provide information, linkage with resources,
employment.
expert assistance toward fighting inequities, legal expertise, and targeted
advocacy.
 Based on the age, functioning, and needs of the

Comprehensive individual the comprehensive assessment will include

Assessment 1.
2.
Case History
Daily routines
3. Review of auditory, visual, motor, and cognitive
status, including hearing screening
4. Assessment of
a. Nonsymbolic and/or symbolic
communication
b. Social interaction
c. Spoken language
d. Written language
e. Speech production
f. Oral motor skills
g. Swallowing
h. Fluency
5. Possibility of using assistive technology
6. Potential intervention strategies
Screening -According to American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association SLPs
screen for problems in areas:

1. Hearing
2. Speech
3. Language
4. Communication
5. Swallowing

-Screening does not result in a diagnosis of

the disorder, but determines the need for
further assessment and/or referral for other
services.
Screening Includes: 1. Gathering information from parents,
teachers, and co-workers regarding
concerns about an individuals
language and skills
2. Conducting a hearing screening
3. Observing speech production,
language comprehension and
production, social communication,
and literacy skills in natural
environments
4. Observing in structure environment
5. Evaluation of swallowing
 1.) Utilizing the UDL guideline and providing the student with visual and
malleable modalities such as tablets, videos, handouts and multimedia
learning opportunities to promote growth. Reference any of the

Suggestions for
guidelines below for in class suggestions.
http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0
.pdf

Working with 2.) Offer a co-teaching option for students with disabilities. This way
students benefit from both the general education teacher and the

Disabilities in
special education teacher.Benefits include; increased instructional
options, decreased stigma, and Lower student to teacher ratios.
3.) Making sure that the teacher stays consistent with what they expect and

General Education 4.)

want from the student everyday in the classroom.
Teacher should always be trying to interact with the student. Checking

Classroom.
in to make sure that the student is understanding and just keeping that
student on task.
5.) Teachers may elect to use assistive technology to better serve their
students with an intellectual disability. There are many softwares that
can be tailored to suit the needs and interests of the students.
6.) The following strategies should be considered when assisting students
with an intellectual disability:
a.) Teach one concept or activity component at a time
b.) Teach one step at a time to help support memorization and
sequencing
c.) Teach students in small groups, or one-on-one, if possible
d.) Always provide multiple opportunities to practice skills in a
number of different settings
e.) Use physical and verbal prompting to guide correct responses,
and provide specific verbal praise to reinforce these responses
 1.) Literature suggestions: The Boy in the Moon: A Father’s
Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son by Ian Brown
2.) A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectation, and a Little Girl
Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker
3.) The benefit of this literature is to convey that this child is more

Suggestions for than a disability, and helps parents navigate the challenges
and perils of parenthood and the politics of school that go

Parents of Students
along with this. These texts teach self-reliance and
acceptance.
4.) Keeping open communication between parents and teachers.

with Disabilities Making sure that everyone is on the same page with what is
going on with the student or if the teacher misses something
that the parent can see, everyone needs to know what is going
on.
5.) Parents need to understand and review the students IEP and
making sure that is fits their students needs.
6.) Give your child frequent feedback. Praise your child when he
or she does well. Build your child’s abilities.
7.) Encourage independence in your child. For example, help your
child learn daily care skills, such as dressing, feeding him or
herself, using the bathroom, and grooming.
8.) Talk to other parents whose children have an intellectual
disability. Parents can share practical advice and emotional
support. Find out more about, and connect with, parent
groups.
 References
References: Kelly Schneider

Intellectual Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/intellectual-disabilities/

Social-Emotional Development and Learning Disabilities (LDs). (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.ldatschool.ca/learn-about-lds/social-emotional-development-lds/

References: Tyrone Robinson

Hallahan, D., Kauffman, J., & Pullen, P. (2015). Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education (13th ed.). United States of
America: Pearson Education, Inc.

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. (2018). Definition of Intellectual Disability. Retrieved from
https://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition#.WwyAIa2ZNE4

Cootes, J. and Wells, K. (2018). S32 Step By Step Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.idrs.org.au/s32/_guide/p040_2_2_DiagnosisTerms.php#.WwyNeq2ZNE4

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2018, April 30). Intellectual disability. Retrieved from
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001523.htm
References Cont’d
References: Meagan Evangelho
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589942540&section=Assessment

Reading Rockets
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/back-school-tips-parents-children-special-needs