CHAPTER 9: Understanding Students with Intellectual Disability Exceptional Lives 8th Edition Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, and Shogren Developed by Theresa Garfield Dorel Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Defining Intellectual Disabilities AAIDD 3 Part Definition Significant limitations in intellectual functioning Significant limitations in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills Intellectual disability originates before age 18

Prevalence of Intellectual Disabilities Approximately 6.8% of children three to 21 years old receive special education were classified as having intellectual disabilities.

Within an individual, limitations often coexist with strengths. Five Assumptions Essential to the Application of the Definition (Figure 9.1) 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 intellectual disabilities generally will improve.

Characteristics of Intellectual Disabilities Limitations in Intellectual Functioning Measured through use of IQ tests Memory (short-term, long-term, and working) Generalization Motivation Limitations in Adaptive Behavior Three domains: Conceptual Skills, Social Skills, Practical Skills Self-determination

Determining the Causes Causes by Timing Prenatal drug or alcohol use Perinatal premature Postnatal Lack of oxygen during delivery Causes by Risk Factors Biomedical Chromosomal abnormalities Social Behavioral Educational Low maternal education

Evaluating Students with Intellectual Disabilities Determining the Presence Evaluate intellectual functioning and adaptive skills Intellectual functioning: IQ tests Adaptive skills: Measures such as AAIDD Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS- available 2013) Determining the Nature and Extent of General and Special Education and Related Services For older students, the Transition Planning Inventory is useful

Partnering for Special Education and Related Services Interagency Collaboration Transition coordinator Invite member of community agencies to IEP meetings Shared funding possibilities Community wide transition council Training Community Transition Teams

Determining Supplementary Aids and Services Paraeducators Paraeducators are important More than 373,972 in U.S. Paraeducators add appropriate levels of support, If not used carefully, they may isolate students; Velcroed effect Roles and Responsibilities

Planning for 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

Effective Instructional Strategies: Early Childhood Students Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching First, follow the child's lead Then, set the stage for communication Put preferred objects out of reach so the child has to ask for it Finally, be strategic when playing games Interrupt or change the ritual

Effective Instructional Strategies: Elementary and Middle School Students Self-determined Learning Model of Instruction (The University of Kansas) 12 student questions Teacher objectives Educational supports Three phases: What is my goal? What is my plan? What have I learned?

Effective Instructional Strategies: Secondary and Transition Students Community Based Instruction (CBI) Teaching in the natural environment Community-based Instructional Approaches “Learn it where you’ll need to do it.” “Teach it where you want your students to practice it.”

Including Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Measuring Students’ Progress Progress in the general curriculum Data-based monitoring: Requires teachers regularly to collect different types of data such as: Response-by-response data Instructional and test data Error data Anecdotal data

Measuring Students’ Progress Progress in addressing other educational needs Ecological inventory process Life Space Analysis Gather information about the student’s daily environments Conduct ecological inventories Conduct a discrepancy analysis Perform an Activity Task Analysis

Making Accommodations for Assessment Accommodations may include: Dictating responses to someone Having extended time Having test items orally read to them Clarifying test items