Understanding Students with Intellectual Disabilities

1. Understanding Students with Intellectual Disabilities

2. Defining Intellectual 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

3. 5 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

4. Intensities 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

5. Characteristics 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

6. Evaluating Students with Intellectual 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

7. Partnering for Sp.Ed., and related 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

8. Partnering for Special Education and Related Services • 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

9. Determining Supplementary Aides 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

10. Planning Other Educational Needs • 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

11. Elementary and Middle School Students • Self-determined learning models of instruction • 12 student questions • Teacher objectives • Educational support • Three phases: • What is my goal? • What is my plan? • What have I learned?

12. Secondary and Transition Students • 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

13. Making Accommodations for Assessment • Accommodations may include: • Dictating responses to someone • Having extended time • Having test items orally read • Clarifying test times