or

or
or (depending on
IQ and type of
disability
Cognitive
Impairments
MILD
MODERATE
MULTIPLE
(SXI)
SEVERE
IQ Range
IQ Range
IQ Range
IQ Range
Educational
Needs
Educational
Needs
Educational
Needs
Educational
Needs
Traits
Traits
Traits
Traits
Continuum of
Services
Continuum of
Services
Continuum of
Services
50-55 to
70
difficulty with
learning,
long-term
memory, and
information
retrieval
slower
development
of cognitive
functions
problem
solving
memory
attention
thinking
perception
difficulty
assimilating
large
amounts of
information
quickly
difficulty
generalizing
information
difficulty
distinguishing
relevant vs
irrelevant
stimuli
additional
time to
learn skills
and
concepts
organize
materials
for
learning
direct and
systematic
instruction
alternative
approaches to
learning
reduce
distracting/
irrelevant
stimuli
difficulty
empathizing
reinforce
"figuring it out
for
themselves"
provide
opportunities to
interact with
peers and
adults regularly
make
lessons
concise,
brisk and
interesting
general
education
classroom
resource
room
2 SD away
from
mean
36-40 to
50-55
3 SD away
from
mean
20 to 35-
40 for
Severe
4+ SD
away from
mean
can be
educated in
general
education
classroom at
times
usually
included in
classes such
as P.E., art
and music
difficulty
with short
term
memory
may not
progress
beyond pre-
operational or
concrete
operational
stages
difficulty
generalizing
unless
taught to do
so
low degree of
development
of cognitive
functions
difficulty
seeing
relationships
between
concepts
may lack
conversational
and social skills
perception
memory
thinking
problem
solving
attention
require systematic
instruction for
personal care and
productivity
routines
poor self-regulation
of behavior and
following rules
lower than
normal
cardiovascular
fitness levels
use real
materials,
activities,
and settings
plan
instruction
based on
activities,
not skills
design classroom
practice to simulate
experiences in the
community
provide
systematic
instructions
broken into
steps
provide daily
repetition of drills
and activities until
skills are mastered
provide
opportunities to
develop
communication
integrate
language/
speech
therapy
expand
vocabulary
practice
grammatical
structure
improve
pragmatic
language
skills
provide
opportunities of
interaction with
peers without
disabilities
develop
routines
for leisure
time
begin personal
care in early
years
provide
domestic skill
instruction
develop skills
for physical
fitness
teach self-
management
life skills
making purchases/
appointments
planning/
scheduling
using the
phone
teach job-
related
skills and
provide
vocational
programs
teach
community
skills
public
transportation
street
crossing
following a
map
full time
special
education
level 5
school
below 20
for
Profound
poor
retention
of learned
skills
very limited ability
to communicate
understandably
low social
competency
require systematic
instruction for
personal care and
productivity
routines
very limited
participation
in job settings
very low
development
of cognitive
functions
low
cardiovascular
fitness levels
limited ability
to learn
incidentally
difficulty
gaining info
from the
environment
difficulty developing/
maintaining skills for
participation in age-
appropriate activities
difficulty
discriminating
from relevant
stimuli
use a teaching
method that
emphasizes
attaining
independence
provide
additional time
to learn skills/
concepts
daily
instruction
and
focused
daily help
provide needed
support and
linkages to
participation
with interaction
all personal
productivity
needs to be
adaptive
begin
personal
care in
early
years
if the
individual
holds a job,
much
supervision
is required
selective
attention
provide
domestic
skill
instruction
develop
routines
for child
and
caretaker
50-55 to 70
with TWO
other
disabilities
less than
50-55 with
ONE other
disability
Continuum of
Services
full time
special
education
general
education
classroom
wide range of
IQ, but needs to
have another
disability
alongside low IQ
difficulty
gaining
information
from the
environment
poor ability
to learn
incidentally
limited ability to
communicate
understandably
require extensive
ongoing support
to participate in
integrated
settings
poor
retention
of learned
skills
difficulty developing/
maintaining skills for
participation in age-
appropriate activities
teach
targeted
skills in
functional
clusters
alternative
approaches
for learning
reduce
distracting
and
irrelevant
stimuli
additional
time to
learn skills
and
concepts
use a teaching
method that
emphasizes
attaining
independence in
relevant life skills
domestic
leisure
community
vocational
regular
documentation
of student
progress
teach
skills
using
"real-life"
materials
regular
reviewing of
these
documents to
adjust programs
focus
attention
on task
cues
use positive
reinforcement
teach
skills in
authentic
or natural
settings
support
development and
consistent use of
a communication
system that
enables
expression of
wants/needs
adapt task
completion
requirements
to development
level to
promote
participation
difficulty
complying with
behavioral
expectations
often they
live in
group
homes with
helpers
difficulty
expressing
wants/needs
difficulty
conducting
themselves in
a safe and
appropriate
manner
limited
participation
in productivity
routines
require systematic
instruction for
personal care and
productivity
routines
low
cardiovascular
fitness levels
very limited
participation
in job settings
lack judgement
skills to cope
with
environmental
changes
begin
personal
care in
early
years
provide
domestic
skill
instruction
develop skills
for physical
fitness
teach
community
skills
public
transportation
street
crossing
following a
map
develop skills
for physical
fitness
teach self-
management
life skills
making purchases/
appointments
planning/
scheduling
using the
phone
teach job-
related
skills and
provide
vocational
programs