Intellectual Disability Handout

Legal Definitions:
Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both
intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday
social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 18. - AAIDD
Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently
with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental
period, that adversely affects a childs educational performance. -IDEA
Characteristics:
Adaptive Behavior
Conceptual Skills: language and literacy, money concepts, time, number
concepts, self-direction
Social Skills: interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility,
social problem solving, and the ability to follow rules
Practical Skills: activities of daily living (eating, dressing, mobility), occupational
skills, healthcare, travel, transportation, schedules/routines, safety, use of money,
use of the telephone, preparing meals, taking medication, housekeeping
activities
IQ
People with scores below 70-75 are typically considered to have an intellectual
disability. 100 is average.
Learning Strategies:
Teach one component at a time
Have students work in small groups or one-on-one
Chaining - teaching one step at a time to help with memorization and sequencing
Spiral Modeling - revisiting previous information
Positive Reinforcement - Give praise to reinforce good behavior
Hands-On Learning - kinesthetic activities
Additional Resources:
The Parent Hub - Center for Parent Information and Resources: http://
www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/intellectual/
The Arc - For People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: a
community based organization http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2530
Do 2 Learn - A Resource for Individuals with Special Needs: http://
www.do2learn.com/
AAIDD - American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:
http://aaidd.org/home