INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

What are Intellectual Disabilities?

Intellectual Disabilities can be defined by below-average intelligence or mental abilities and lack of skills required for day to day living. Children with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but at a slower space. Intellectual disabilities range from mild to severe. Children with Intellectual Disabilities have limitations in the following two areas : Intellectual functioning or IQ, which affects the child’s ability to learn, reason, make decisions and solve problems, as well as  adaptive behaviors, which affect the child being able to communicate effectively, interact with others and take care of own self.

The causes of Intellectual Disabilities include:

  • Genetic conditions such as AD/HD), (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Downs Syndrome,
  • Problems during pregnancy that interfere with fetal brain development such as drug use, malnutrition and chain infections,
  • Problems during childbirth such as deprivation of oxygen during birth, and
  • Being born extremely prematurely, and Illness or Injury such as meningitis or measles, head injuries or abuse.

Children with severe intellectual disabilities can experience other health problems such as seizures, vision or hearing problems.

Signs and Diagnosis

A certified psychologist will find out if a child has intellectual disability by testing how well the child thinks and solves problems, with the use of a standardized intelligence or cognitive tests and through observing and assessing adaptive behavior, including how well the child can feed or dress themselves, and how the child interacts and communicates with others.

The developmental evaluation will be based on physical development (fine motor skills, gross motor skills), cognitive development (intellectual abilities), communication development (speech and language), social or emotional development (social skills, emotional control) and adaptive development (self-care skills).

Some of the most common signs of intellectual disability include delays in rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking and difficulties and delays in talking. More signs include being slow to master skills like dressing, feeding and potty training. They may also experience difficulty in remembering things, inability to connect actions with consequences as well as behavioral problems such as explosive tantrums and difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking.

Treatment

A child with an Intellectual Disability, like any child, needs to be loved, accepted and given a stimulating environment. Preparing them for both lifelong vocational pursuits and as much independence as possible is the major goal of their education. Schooling would include evolving training and/or educational programs that are appropriate for their abilities and responsive to their needs, including teaching the basic developmental skills (fine and gross motor skills, speech and language skills) so that they are better able to learn academic and other school-related skills.

Sometimes a special educational setting with more individual attention and support is required, especially for youngsters with behavior problems. However, they would also greatly benefit by engaging in non-academic activities, such as sports, physical education, art, and singing, with their peers who are not intellectually disabled. Increasingly, children with mild intellectual disabilities are being mainstreamed into inclusion classrooms.

Adaptive behavior enables children to interact with, adjust to, and meet the demands of other people and day-to-day living. Specific adaptive behavior includes a child’s motor skills, communication abilities, self-help and independent living skills (eating, dressing, toileting), and other everyday skills (using public transportation, maintaining an appropriate job, taking care of a house).

It is important to remember that with the right kind of support, a child with an intellectual disability can grow up to be a happy and fulfilled person, get a job, manage well and live independently. Although people with severe Intellectual disabilities may need assistance with many aspects of daily living, they too can live full lives, with the correct assistance and support from society.

Families and teachers of children with intellectual disabilities would benefit from some extra support from professionals who have experience working with children with disabilities, including practical advice about the management of challenging behaviors and how to provide emotional support and counseling.

Source:

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/intellectual/