Transcript Unit 5 Intellectual Disabilities

Unit 5
Intellectual Disabilities
Prepared by:
Cicilia Evi
GradDiplSc., M. Psi
The Term
• On 2007, American Association for Mental
Retardation (AAMR) changed its name to
American Association for Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
• Negative connotations imbecile, moron,
idiot, retardate  due to social stigma
• Simply changing a name does not change the
systemic reason for bias
Introduction
• Impaired intellectual functioning, limited
adapted behavior, need for supports, and
initial occurrence before age 18
• They make very special effort to learn all the
skills needed in adult life
• People first …
• Normalization (by Benjt Nirje, 1960) 
making available ordinary patterns of life and
conditions of everyday living
Introduction (2)
• Dignity of risk (Bob Perske)  the principle
that taking ordinary risks and chances is part
of the human experience  avoid being
overprotective
• How society reacts  can create obstacles or
opportunities for those with intellectual
disabilities
Challenges
• Learning is difficult
• Normal task is overwhelming
• Mostly come from bias, prejudice and stigma
from others
• Any kind of name-calling can be personally
hurtful to the individuals
• We need to erase negative terms 
feebleminded, MR, handicapped or idiot
Best Buddies
• Anthony Shriver  1989 at Georgetown
University
• Foster one-on-one friendships structured
around social activities  relationships,
friendships and opportunities for supports
Definition
• Five assumptions on Intellectual Disabilities  p.
269
• Intellectual disabilities is conceptualized in terms
of adaptive behavior that they have and the
intensity of supports needed to be able to
function independently in the community
(Luckasson et al, 1992, 2002; Polloway, 1997)
• Three major elements:
– Intellectual Functioning
– Adaptive Behavior
– Systems of supports
Intellectual Functioning
• Significantly below average  face challenges
in cognitive performance
• Not typical learners  at least 2 SD below the
mean  need extra help to master skills
needed in adult life
• Cutoff score is 70  category p. 270
• Story of AL
Adaptive Behavior
• Performance in everyday life skills expected of
adults (see figure 8.1, p. 270)
• Difficulties  from lack of skills needed in
different situations or don’t know what skill is
needed in particular situation
• Conceptual skills  language, self-direction,
reading and writing, money concepts
• Practical skills  eating, dressing, toileting
• Social skills  social conventions, how to
terminate conversation
Systems of Supports
• Networks of friends, family, members and
coworkers, social services and government
agencies that help them manage their daily
life
• Life is a network of support
• Levels of intensity  intermittent, limited,
extensive, pervasive
• Vary for every person
Characteristics: Cognition
• Impaired cognition  make tasks difficult 
interfere communicative competence
• Degree of cog impairments define curriculum
content  academic, life skills or both (p. 272)
• Hard to learning new skills and generalized
mastered skills to new situation
• Impaired STM and trouble with LTM  esp when
the events not identified as important
• Reduce ability in incidental learning  through
observation, without instruction
Characteristics: Adaptive Behavior
• They are all facing difficulties in one area of
adaptive skills area
• IEP goals for them stress independence
• But … goals should be thought of in terms of
interdependence, at least two peers work
together, providing each other with assistance
and support
Characteristics: Need of Supports
• Natural supports  from family, friend,
neighbors, coworkers, peers at school
• Nonpaid supports  community supports
• Generic supports  available for everyone 
public transport and facilities by state
• Specialized supports  disability-specific
• Support  fluid concept  provide them as
much as needed, when it is necessary …
Prevalence
• Identified less than 1% of all students  far
less than expected number: 3% of students
have their IQ score below the cut-off score 
why so?
– Social stigma  professional reluctant to label
– Not all cognitive disabilities students are having
intellectual disabilities as their primary problem
– Students of color being overrepresented
Causes
• 1/3 are unknown (The Arc, 2005)
• The ravages of poverty and its risk factors
(limited health care, disrupted lives and fewer
early intervention opportunities
• A connection between child abuse and neglect
– intellectual disabilities
Causes (2)
• Based on onset:
– Prenatal  genetic (PKU, fragile X, Down Syndrome),
heredity, toxins (incld. tobacco, alcohol, drug),
disease, neural tube defects
– Perinatal  birth injuries, O2 deprivation, head
trauma, umbilical cord accidents, obstetrical trauma
– Postnatal  due to the environment  lead
poisoning, child abuse and neglects, accidents
• Based on specific reasons  genetic/heredity,
toxins, child abuse/neglect
Genetic Cause
• Fragile X Syndrome  mutation of X
chromosomes  affecting 1 on 4,000 males
and 1 in 8,000 females
• Down Syndrome  the 21st chromosomes
contains three chromosomes, not a pair
• Phenylketonuria (PKU)  from buildup of
toxins from food containing amino acids (like
milk)
– Need controlled diet
Toxins
• Prenatal and postnatal causes of intellectual
disabilities
• Lead poisoning  from gasoline, toys or paint
of old houses
• Playing in contaminated dirt, breathing lead
directly from a paint source, eating paint
chips, or touching old paint and puttingtheir
fingers to their mouth
Toxins (2)
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum  congenital conditions
due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy
• Cause of learning problems, language
impairments, difficulties generalizing learning
across situations and also behavioral issues:
hyperactivity, inattention, low self-esteem,
aggression and impulsivity (Duquette et al., 2006)
• Average IQ score is 79 (Bennington & Thomson,
2006)
Prevention
• By directly addressing the cause
• Vaccines, immunization
• Education, medical technology, access to
health care
• Terminate the pregnancy (80% - 90% due to
Down Syndrome), adopting
• Strategy p. 279
Assessments
• IQ tests  common, but with many controversy
• Early identification  family, doctor, preschool
teachers
• Assess adaptive abilities  to evaluate the actual
skills mastered with typical skills expected in a
typical environment
• Alternate assessment  portfolio for students
who don’t go for general classroom (story of
‘Zero to Five’ homeschooling program)
Early Intervention
• Can reduce the severity – even prevent them
• Essential for young children with disabilities
and who are at-risk for developmental delay
or school failure
• Benefits of high-quality inclusive preschool 
p. 283
• Read story of Geri A. Nicholas  p. 273
• Key features of preschool settings  p. 283
Teaching
• Modification of instruction p. 286
– Assignments or tests are reduced or altered
– Alternative assignments  photo essay instead of
writing report
• Self-determination  ability to make decision,
choosing preferences, and exercising selfadvocacy needed for independent living
– Adult directed reward system
– More likely to graduate from HS, hold job and
experience success in adult life  p. 287
How to Help?
• Technology  using internet can help
• Functional curriculum  p. 288
• Employment
– Vocational rehabilitation
– Supported rehabilitation
– Job coach  p. 290
• Friendships  married???
• Independent Living
Quality of Life
• A person’s satisfaction with life, which includes a
sense of contentment that results in part from
feelings of dignity, value, worth and respect
(Wolfensberger, 2002)
• An assessment of QoL  helps to determine how
well the individual’s needs and desires are being
met and reflects outcomes: empowerment, selfdetermination, independence, social belonging,
community presence and life satisfaction
(Schalock, Gardner, & Bradley, 2007)