1. Mild/Moderate Intellectual Disabilities
By Stephen Cross

2. Intro to Mild/Moderate Disabilities
Designed for:
Para-Professionals
Bus Drivers
School employees (Librarians, Custodial workers, Cafeteria workers)

3. Agenda I. Definition II. Eligibility III. Characteristics
IV. Stategies

4. Definition
There are two different definitions used in the United States today.
IDEA ’04 (Federal Government)
American Association of Mental Retardation (now referred as AAIDD)

5. Federal Government Definition
Intellectual Disabilities means significant sub average general intellectual functioning, existing with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s education performance.

6. AAID Definition
Intellectual Disabilities are a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before age 18.

7. Accompanies the AAIDD Def.
1. Limitation in present functioning must be considered within the context of community environments typical of the individual's age peers and culture.
2. Valid assessment considers cultural and linguistic diversity as well as differences in communication and in sensory, motor, and behavioral factors.
3. Within and individual, limitations often coexist with strengths.

8. Accompanies the AAIDD Def. Cont.
4. An important purpose of describing limitations is to develop a profile of needed supports.
5. With appropriate personalized supports over sustained period, the life functioning of the person with mental retardation generally will improve.

9. Mild/Moderate IQ Range
Mild: IQ range of 50 to 69
Outcomes: Learning difficulties, able to work, contribute to society
Moderate: IQ range of 35 to 49
Some independence in self-care, need support for work and community living

10. Simple Definition 1. Sub-average general intelligence
2. Adaptive behavior impairment
3. Having occurred during the developmental period
4. Must be aversive to students education

11. Sub-Average General Intelligence
Sub-Average General Intelligence – IQ score is two standard deviations below the mean of an IQ test.
Mean of an IQ test - 100
Standard Deviation 15
Students cannot be eligible for services on this requirement alone.

12. Adaptive Behavior Impairment
Adaptive Behavior: age-appropriate behaviors needed to live independently
Personal Hygiene
Money management
Social skills
Personal Responsibility

13. Characteristics Motivation Attention Sociobehavior Academic Memory
Generalization

14. Poor Motivation
Motivation - focuses student’s attention, emotions, and activity
Repeated Academic Failure = Poor Motivation
Most student’s motivation is based on external loci of control.

15. Locus of Control
Internal Locus of Control – Positive and negative events happen because of individual
External Locus of Control – Positive or negative events are beyond their control

16. External Locus of Control
Underdeveloped sense of Self-Determination
Learned Helplessness -
Belief that failure will crown the most extraordinary efforts
Outer Directedness -
Relying on situational or external cues for guidance

17. What can we do? Set them up for success!
Communicate positive expectations – Tell them what you expect of them
Organization – Class Folders

18. What can we do? Cont.
Create realistic instructional goals – What can they do?
Provide Immediate Feedback – Be polite, be right, move on
Teach to deal with Failure– Everybody falls Getting up is the hard part

19. Attention Lack of Sustained Attention – Can’t focus for long
-Attention Span
Lack of Selective Attention – Don’t know what to focus on
-Distractibility

20. Attention Strategies Remove the excess – Get to the point.
Chunking– Group liked information together.
Familiar Examples– Activate prior knowledge

21. Attention Strategies Cont.
Stress importance– Explain why it’s important
Self-Monitor – Teach checklist skills
Provide Frequent breaks – Build breaks into lesson plans

22. Sociobehavior Characteristics
Unable to read social cues: Students can’t pick up on non verbal cues
Easily taken advantage of: Students are desperate to fit in, will do anything
Personal Space: Must be taught personal bubbles

23. Sociobehavior Characteristics cont.
Unaware of inappropriate behavior – teach examples and nonexamples
Hyperactive – trouble staying calm
Low Self-Esteem – result of repeated failures

24. Sociobehavior strategies
Practice Practice Practice
Peer Reinforcement –Peer buddies, general ed. students
Reinforce appropriate behavior – Praise appropriate behavior
Model appropriate behavior

25. Academic Delay in acquiring Reading, Math, and Writing skills
Problems with:
Decoding
Comprehension
Fluency
Math computations

26. Academic Strategies Mnemonics – for remembering rules
Repeated readings - for fluency
Math - Concrete, Semi-Concrete, and Abstract
Direct Instruction/MLT

27. Memory Long Term – Same as non-disabled students
Short Term: Lack Selective Attention
Delay in learning sets – remembering rules to apply for certain tasks
Problems with Generalization

28. Memory Strategies Group Information Teach Mnemonics
Acronyms – First letter of each word combines to make a word.
Ex. HOMES – Lake Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, Superior
Acrostics – Every Good Boy Does Fine

29. Generalization
Difficulties in performing learned tasks in different setting with different people
Not able to recognize already known skills needed in different settings

30. Generalization Strategies
Practice skill until mastery
Practice must be realistic
Multiple opportunities
Stress meaningful content

31. The Vicious Cycle of Intellectual Disability Characteristics
Due to the sociobehavior characteristics, students feel peer rejection. This causes them to withdraw from others and from engaging in their education.
Due to the lack of engagement, the student’s motivation is decreased which leads to little to no effort and poor grades
This creates a sense of failure and rejection leading to a vicious cycle

32. References
Mastropieri, M.A, Scruggs, T.E. (2010) The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Differentiated Instruction. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Smith, D.D, Tyler, N.C. (2010). Introduction to Special Education. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.