Mild Intellectual Disability Janet November 13 2014 Mild

Mild Intellectual Disability Janet November 13, 2014

Mild Intellectual Disability is. . . A learning disorder characterized by: • An ability to profit educationally within a regular class with the aid of considerable curriculum modification and supportive services • An inability to profit educationally within the regular classroom because of slow intellectual development • A potential for academic learning, independent social adjustment and economic self-supports Ministry of Education, Special Education Companion, 2002

Mild Intellectual Disability

What does it mean to be intellectually disabled? “intellectual disability presents itself as an inability to think as quickly, reason as deeply, remember as easily, or adapt as rapidly to new situations” (Westwood, 2007)

Identifying MID • IQ scores or percentiles • Adaptive behaviour skills that are significantly below average • Academic achievement

Mild Intellectual Disability vs Learning Disability Mild Intellectual Disability • IQ score ‹ 70 • performing 2 -3 years behind age appropriate peers in cognitive development • Require modification/ accommodations • Social relationships may be difficult • Lack understanding of verbal/non-verbal cues, difficulty following rules and routines Watson, Sue; Learning Disabilities • • Learning Disability Typically have average to above average cognitive abilities May require specific teaching strategies or accommodations Some may require grade level modifications in some subjects Many are able to successfully complete the Ontario curriculum expectations

Student Characteristics Academic Performance: • Lag significantly behind grade-level peers in developing academic skills • Delayed in learning reading and basic math skills • Delays in reading and math combined with delays in language skills results in delays in other academic areas that require the use of these skills, such as writing, spelling and science

Student Characteristics Cognitive Performance: • Have general delays in cognitive development • 3 of the most important cognitive skill deficits demonstrated by students with mild intellectual disability are related to attention, memory and generalization.

Student Characteristics Cognitive Performance: Attention Difficulty with 3 different types of attention: 1) Orienting to task requires a student to look in the direction of the task 2) Selective attention requires that the student attend to relevant aspects of the task and not to unimportant task components 3) Sustaining attention requires that the student continue to attend to a task for a period of time

Student Characteristics Cognitive Performance: Memory • Difficulty remembering information (short-term memory) • Remembering math facts or spelling words • Memory problems are influenced by attentional difficulties • Have difficulties generating and using strategies that help facilitate short-term memory • Focus should be on meaningful content during instruction and instructing on which strategy to use

Activity Remember this sequence of numbers 7 3 1 6 8 4 0 9 Now write it down in the correct order Remember this sequence of numbers 4 8 3 1 9 4 7 Now write it down backwards

Student Characteristics Cognitive Performance: Generalization • Difficulty in generalizing of information to other material • Difficulty generalizing material learned in one setting to another

Student Characteristics Social Skills Performance: • Cognitive characteristics of students with MID may contribute to difficulty interacting socially • Difficulty understanding the content of verbal interactions due to low level cognitive development and delayed language development • Difficulty with attention and memory impedes social interactions • Difficulty reading social cues, interacting successfully in conversations, lack of connections in school activities

Teaching Strategies Direct Instruction • Academic Skills – Real world reading skills – Real world math skills – Real world writing skills • Functional Skills – – – – Money concepts Time concepts Independent living skills Self-care and hygiene Community access Leisure activities Vocational training • Learn skills in applicable environments • Generalize skills to various situations and environments

Teaching Strategies • Break down tasks. Teach in smaller components. • Teach complex concepts over time one component at a time. • Use a variety of instructional supports, from physical and verbal prompting to observational learning. • Instructional strategies and materials should be designed with the student’s own interests and strengths in mind.

Teaching Strategies • Useful strategies for teaching students with intellectual disabilities include, but are not limited to the following techniques: – Teach one concept or activity component at a time. – Teach one step at a time to help support memorization and sequencing. – Teach students in small groups, or one-on-one if possible. – Always provide multiple opportunities to practice skills in a number of different settings. – Use physical and verbal prompting to guide correct responses, and provide specific verbal praise to reinforce these responses.

Alternative Expectations To help students who have mild intellectual disability live and work in the community and or postsecondary learning their courses may need to be spaced out over a longer period. Alternative expectations may need to form part of the programming for these students and be outlined in their IEP These expectations may include: – Personal life management (social interaction, budget management, meal planning, use of public transit, self-control) – Self-care skills (personal health care, grooming, safety) – Employability skills (attendance, punctuality, work ethic, task completion) – Vocational skills, apprentice-like jobs and experiences – Leisure and recreation self-advocacy skills (sports, fitness, hobbies, use of community facilities , assertiveness training) – Social skills (social language, turn-taking, negotiation, conflict resolution, maintaining friendships and relationships)

Assistive Technology • assistive technology devices incorporates both access to learning activities and utilization of computerbased instruction http: //www. scribd. com/doc/24470331/i. Phone-i. Padand-i. Pod-touch-Apps-for-Special-Education

Community Resources Community Living Ontario 240 Duncan Mill Rd. , Suite 403 Toronto, M 3 B 3 S 6 Live. Work. Play Suite 301, 1223 Michael Street, Ottawa ON K 1 J 7 T 2. Best Buddies Canada 907 -1243 Islington Ave. Toronto, M 8 X 1 Y 9 Community Care Durham Community Living Toronto

References Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 46, No. 2 pp 6 -13 Rosenberg, M. S. , Westling, D. L. , Mc. Leskey, J. , Primary Characteristics of Students with Intellectual Disabilities, 2013 Special Education, A Guide for Educators Special Education Companion Project Ideal Learning Disabilities and related Mild Disabilities