Student with intellectual disability

Other than the population of children with general learning problems already discussed, students with intellectual disability represent the next largest group of students with special educational needs. For an individual to be identified as having an intellectual disability, he or she will obtain a measured intelligence quotient (IQ) below 70 and has limitations in reasoning and in independent functioning. The most obvious characteristic of individuals with intellectual disability is that they experience significant difficulty learning almost everything that others can learn with ease.

Children with intellectual disability usually appear to be much less mature than their age peers, tending to exhibit behaviour that is typical of younger children. Their behaviour patterns, skills and general knowledge are related more closely to their mental age than to their chronological age. They can and will learn if provided with an appropriate instructional program, adequate support, and teaching methods suited to their level of ability. The extent to which major changes in teaching approach are required depends upon the degree of intellectual impairment, ranging from mild to severe.

Children with mild intellectual disability tend to be very similar to children who have been described in the past as ‘slower learners’. Most children with mild intellectual disability attend ordinary schools now and receive
additional support in that setting. To assist these children, their teachers usually try to simplify learning activities and the content of the curriculum where necessary. The children may also attend additional remedial classes
in the school.

Children with moderate to severe intellectual disability are more commonly accommodated in special schools or special classes. Many children with severe intellectual disability also have additional handicaps or problems (physical, sensory, emotional, behavioural) and are frequently described as having ‘high support needs’.

For some children with disabilities, a special education setting may still offer the best environment to meet their needs. The purpose of having special schools and special classes was – and still is – to create a situation in which curriculum content, resources, and methods of instruction can be geared appropriately to the students’ needs and abilities. Classes are also smaller in special schools, allowing more opportunity to work with individuals.

Areas of difficulty
General development: Intellectual disability often results in significant limitations in development in the following areas. These areas are priorities within the curriculum and IEP for children with intellectual disability:

• self-care and daily living skills
• language and communication
• social skills
• literacy and numeracy
• self-regulation
• independent functioning in the community.

Attention: Children with intellectual disability often appear to have major problems in paying attention in a learning situation and are easily distracted. A teacher needs to think of many ways of helping the child focus on a learning task and maintain concentration. Without adequate attention, any child will fail to learn what the teacher is trying to teach.

Memory: Many students with intellectual disability also have great difficulty retaining information in their long-term memory. This problem may be linked with the failure to attend closely to the learning task, as discussed above. The memory weakness indicates that a greater amount of repetition and practice is required with these children to ensure that information and skills are mastered and remembered. Frequent revision of previous work is also needed. It is claimed that once these children do eventually get something stored firmly in their memory, they can recall that skill or information as well as any other child.

Generalization: In learning theory, ‘generalisation’ means that a learner is able to use information or skills outside the situation in which they were first taught. It is typical of many children with intellectual disability that
they learn a particular skill or concept in one place with one teacher but then fail to transfer that learning to a different situation. The message from this is that skills and concepts must be taught and rehearsed in many
different contexts.

Language: One of the main characteristics of children with intellectual disability is the very slow rate at which many of them acquire speech and language. Even the child with mild disability is likely to be somewhat
behind in language development. Some individuals with severe and multiple disabilities never develop speech. So, for them, alternative methods of communication may need to be developed; for example, sign language or
picture communication systems. Many children with intellectual disability require the services of a speech therapist; but even then, may continue to have language problems.
Language ability is important in life because it serves the following functions:

• It enables the child to make his or her needs, opinions and ideas known to others.
• Concepts are more effectively stored in their memory if they have a representation in words.
• Language is the main medium through which school learning is conducted.
• Positive social interaction with others is heavily dependent upon effective language skills.
• Language is important for regulating behaviour.

For these reasons, development of language and communication skills in children with intellectual disability is given high priority in the special school curriculum.

Social development: Children with intellectual disability often experience difficulty making friends and gaining social acceptance among other children – particularly if they have certain irritating or troublesome behaviours. Some children with intellectual disability are rejected by other children because of their irritating behaviour rather than because they are disabled. Inappropriate behaviour such as aggression, shouting or temper tantrums makes it difficult for a few of these children to be socially accepted. If the child with a disability is to make friends and be accepted in the peer group, these negative behaviours must be eliminated and social
skills training provided.
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