Getting to Know Intellectual Disabilities Kellie Trouten - Fall 2012

What is an IEP? Individualized Education Program ▫Put together by a team of people with the student’s best interest in mind ▫Must be individualized to the student ▫Includes supports and accommodations Legally mandated Designed to help students with disabilities to improve their performance in an educational setting

What is an Intellectual Disability? “A disability that results in impaired cognitive abilities and the need for assistance or supports to achieve independence and participation in the community” (Smith & Tyler, 2010) Impaired intellectual functioning Limitations in adaptive behaviors Evident before age 18 Occurs during the developmental period

Eligibility requirements IQ of less than 70 Concurrent deficit in adaptive behavior Manifested during the developmental period Adversely affects the student’s educational performance

Characteristics of Intellectual Disabilities Difficulty attending ▫Focusing, span, sustaining, dividing ▫Selecting what to attend to Difficulty with memory tasks ▫Difficulty with semantic memory ▫Difficulty applying episodic memory Difficulty Generalizing Knowledge ▫Difficulty knowing when to use skills in different situations than they were learned (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Additional Characteristics of Intellectual Disabilities Academic Deficits ▫Below average performance in academic areas Limited social competence ▫Difficulty picking up social cues ▫Lack of social skills Difficulty with motivation ▫More prone to discouragement Difficulty with appropriate attribution ▫Attribute failure to intrinsic factors ▫Attribute success to extrinsic factors (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Presentation Accommodations for ID (How students will access information) Material broken into smaller pieces ▫Ie. Giving the student five words at a time instead of all 15. Guided notes ▫Helping students to know when to take notes and something to help them follow along and process the information Simplifying instruction ▫Give explicit instructions on exactly what to do ▫Ie. Task analysis (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Presentation Accommodations for ID (How students will access information) Additional assistance on tasks and assignments ▫Additional materials such as manipulatives or visual aids ▫Peer tutor or instructional assistant Enlarged text ▫Enlarged text in books, hand outs, notes, etc. (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Response Accommodations for ID (How students demonstrate knowledge) Differentiated manner which student demonstrates knowledge ▫The student may do a written report, an oral presentation, or a test Allowance of a calculator ▫Depending on what is being taught to help in processing speed Allowance of a scribe ▫The use of a scribe to write or type answers (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Setting Accommodations for ID (where the student will be instructed or assessed) Limited participation in tasks ▫Assigning jobs for the student that ensures success ▫Specific jobs with explicit directions Preferential Seating ▫Seating in a class that will help the student to better hear, see, or maintain proximity with the teacher Testing in small groups ▫Assessment in a room with less than five students in a room that eliminates distraction (Prater, M. A. (2007))

Extended time to complete assignments ▫Giving students more time to complete assignments for longer processing time. Breaks during instruction ▫Student may be allowed a break to stand during academic work or instruction Provided with schedule or timeline ▫Student given a schedule to follow through the day to know what is coming next Scheduling Accommodations for ID (when the student will be instructed or assessed)

Sources of Information Smith, D. D., & Tyler, N. C. (2010). Introduction to Special Education (7th Edition ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Prater, M. A. (2007). Teaching Strategies for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.