Diagnosing Intellectual Disability

Chapter 6 starts by telling the story of Lauren who has Down syndrome and defining intellectual disability. Intellectual disability in the chapter has multiple definitions and one is that it is define as a disability characterize by both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior such as, social and adaptive skills. To classify and a person with intellectual disability you need to look at various dimension of human functioning, which are intellectual abilities, adaptive behavior, health, participation and context. There are still many challenges on to what the definition of intellectual is and how to measure intellectual disability. There has been many test n to measure the student’s intelligence, but it can be very controversial. Issues

Autism spectrum disorders are a class of developmental disorders that impair social skills, behavior, and communication (Center for Disease Control). ASDs are considered ‘spectrum’ disorders because each patient has a unique experience in the nature and severity of their symptoms (Center for Disease Control). Under the umbrella of ASDs, there are three types of disorders, including Autistic disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Center for Disease Control). Autistic disorder is the most severe of the three, and patients exhibit significant problems with language, communication, and behavior (Center for Disease Control). Furthermore, people with Autistic disorder often have some intellectual impairment (Center for Disease Control). Asperger Syndrome is a milder form of autistic disorder where patients have some developmental delays, but their language and intellect are not affected (Center for Disease Control). The mildest of the ASDs is the pervasive developmental disorder. These patients usually don’t meet all of the criteria for autistic disorder, but do show some signs of social and communication problems (Center for Disease Control). The number of children diagnosed with ASD is growing, and currently 1 in 88 children fall somewhere on the spectrum (Mari-Bauset et al., 2013). Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, and while the exact cause of these disorders is unknown, both genetic and

The term autism currently holds a meaning that is significantly different than when it was first adopted into our vocabulary in the 1960’s. The evolution of scientific discoveries within the field of autism research is remarkable and consistently improving. With the prevalence of autism continuing to reach sky rocketing numbers, the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the school system is extremely important. Every child has the right to obtain an education and finding new methods that provide this for children with ASD is vital. Creating programs and techniques that can be personalized to a child is the key to them receiving the most out of their education. Discrete trial teaching, pivotal response treatment and picture

When learning about Intellectual Disability (ID) it is important to explore the subject with people that work with students of ID. The (SPED) special education team placed together for a student in order to determine the students individual education plan (IEP). This SPED team consist of: Special Educator: Mr. Richard Franklin, General Educator: Ms. Rama Smith (Spelling, Literature), Speech Therapist: Mrs. LuDonna Martin, Principal: Mr. John Denton, Community Organizer and Retired Teacher: Mrs. Nelda Clements and I as the Special

Autism has become an increasingly important public health concern as the number of yearly diagnoses of the disorder has increased since the late 20th century. The National Institute of Health estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States are classified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (NINDS, 2009), a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs children 's ability to learn and causes issues with social interaction and communication. Symptoms of ASD include delays in speech and language, issues with social interaction, and unusual behaviors/routines.

Over the years, more people are becoming aware of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. The growing number of individuals who are affected by ASD have been increasing over the years. This could be do to the new DSM development of what is considered ASD or simply more children are being born with ASD. Either way, ASD is more predominate in our society today. ASD is defined in the DSM 5 as having abnormal social aspects, lack of social skills, non-verbal communications skills, deficits in development, lack of understanding of relationships, and self-stimulation through repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although these are not all of the symptoms caused by ASD

In order for a student to be diagnosed for any disability, there is a process that involves many people that are important in the child’s life. The school must conduct tests that measure the child’s academic success in the classroom, as well as tests that measure IQ (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), work samples, developmental history (usually get this information from the parents), physical exams (vision, hearing etc.), psychological tests, adaptive skills (BASC) and other areas as needed. Testing is usually done by professionals from various disciplines. In order to qualify for special education services under IDEA, the disability must impact the child’s ability to be academically successful (IDEA, 2004).

Autism is categorized by deficits in maintaining social relationships and difficulty communicating. The number of children being diagnosed with autism is steadily increasing. Therefore the need incorporate effective interventions that focus on the development of the individual child has become an imperative component for their success. The key for children with Autism to achieve academic and social success depends upon the collaborative effort that is shared among all parties involved: family, teachers, peers; mental health professionals and the community.

Classification of ID students was the next topic of the interview. Classifying ID students can be difficult agreed both the regular and special education teachers. Classifying intellectual disabilities can be categorized into these several groups, borderline, mild, moderate, severe, and profound (Kerr, 2008). Mrs. Hoffman discussed how categorizes vary and allow teachers to classify students with different severities of intellectual disability. Ms. Kelly recommended students with moderate, severe, and profound levels of intellectual disabilities are placed in special education classes full time with some interaction with regular education students. Mrs. Hoffman explained how borderline levels of ID are classified as functioning but slower learners than normal students.

The assessment and diagnosis of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common recommendation for psychologist, guidance, school, and counseling professionals (Paynter, 2015). The majority of children diagnosed with autism have some school educational constraint such as attending a special education class or school, have challenges socially and with their school experiences (Paynter, 2015). Students with ASD display larger difficulties performing academically and adjusting their emotions and behaviors at school in relation to their peers (Paynter, 2015). Assessment may be recommended for children with ASD for the purpose of verifying diagnosis, assessment of intellectual or developmental delays to identify language or behavioral problems, to monitor progress and intervention results, and to better understand the child?s potential and needs (Paynter,

There is a wide range and much controversy surrounding the study and overall effectiveness of different interventions for children and adolescents possessing a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, regardless of the method of intervention, every intervention shares the common goal which focuses on improving functioning in one or a combination of the following areas: social, communication, behavior, and academic. Social functioning includes interaction with peers and others, engagement and appropriate participation in activities, while communication refers to goals of “effectively signaling information to a social partner” i.e. utilizing and recognizing aspects of communication such as requesting, labeling, expressive language, speech, pragmatics, etc. (Missouri Autism Guidelines Initiative, 2012). With respect to the behavioral domain of treatment, effective intervention seeks to result in an increase of individuals engaging in the positive, adaptive skills to respond to a situation, person, or environment. Finally academic refers to skills that are required for success with school activities (Missouri Autism Guidelines Initiative, 2012). Focus in these areas of functioning assists in guiding treatment goals and provides a guideline of what to measure in order to gauge the effectiveness of treatment.

This journal article involves information pertaining to kids with autism and their caregivers. Throughout the introduction of this article they describe the overall sum of what young children with ASD are like and the overall growth rate. They also mention a Behavioral Intervention and a Behavioral Parent Training Intervention, also known as HOT DOCS. The rate of children with autism spectrum disorder in the United States is one in one hundred and ten, and is the most common of disorders in the pediatric population. They started the Behavioral Interventions with young children that have shown improvements in language, communication, and development skills. Similar results were shown in the Behavioral Parent Training Intervention.

The results of a study designed to identify children previously undiagnosed with ASD was presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR). This study finds that, with little effort, daycare and preschool teachers can effectively screen children for ASD. Teachers were asked to complete the Social Communication Questionnaire or the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) form. These checklists are used to identify children who are at high risk for

Children with AS often have behavioral and emotional problems connected to their deficient social skills. These often involve feelings of stress or loss of control (Myles & Simpson, 2002) and these behaviors can range from simply annoying to highly disruptive behaviors (Safran et al., 2003). In order to help students with AS, interventions must be used that target improving social understanding rather than trying to change certain behaviors in certain situations. Improving the social understanding can be addressed by teaching appropriate social skills. These social skills may include problem solving, conversation skills, anger control, identifying and managing feelings, dealing with stress, and organizational skills. A school psychologist may assist by providing direct social skill instructions to the student and training parents and teachers in strategies to use. Some of these strategies include social stories, comic strip conversations, and social autopsies. In addition, teaching students the “hidden curriculum” or “unwritten rules of conduct” are important parts of social skills teaching

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of many developmental disabilities that affect students learning. In fact, in the United States, Autism is the fastest-growing severe developmental disorder (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Also, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is 1 in 68 children and the prevalence in boys is 1 in 42 children (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Furthermore, Autism Spectrum Disorders also affects the way a child learns and over the years, several teaching strategies have been developed to help teachers to effectively educate students with Autism. Research has also been conducted to develop and test new teaching strategies for Autism and continues in playing an important role in the education of students with Autism.