Intellectual Disabilities

Intellectual Functioning: This is having the cognitive abilities to learn, problem solve, abstractive thinking, adapting to new ideas or concepts and accumulating knowledge. It is also stated that in IQ test is used to define a diagnosis of an intellectual disability. Relating a low IQ test score and having an intellectual disability are not significant enough to determine as many people may have a low test score but not be diagnosed with an 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

This article contributes to answering my question because it gives actual ages of people with Intellectual Disabilities over the years. It is important to know that

According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2017), an intellectual disability is classified as a deficit in “intellectual functioning” and “adaptive behaviors.” For a disability to be qualified as an intellectual disability it must have originated before the age of 18. Some diagnoses that fit under intellectual disability include autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. “Developmental disability” is the umbrella term, encompassing many other disabilities, including those that fall under the category of intellectual disability. Developmental disabilities typically impact an individual in a physical way, such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy.

Many people may say one is a retard without knowing the truth behind the actual word. Intellectual Disability, also known as Mental Retardation, is a very serious psychological disorder that few are faced with for life. Intellectual Disability is characterized by a below-average level of intelligence (a mental ability) that lacks skills necessary for daily living. An IQ is the standard way to measure the level of intelligence one may have. Roughly 95% of humans have the IQ between 70 and 130. (Meyers and DeWall, 2014). The other five percent are either absolute genius or intellectually disabled. Being intellectually disabled can be caused in many ways

According to Heller and Factor (as cited in Wood & Jackson, 2003) the number of “older adults age 60 and older who are diagnosed with mental retardation or developmental disabilities is expected to reach 1,065,000 by 2030.” In fact, “in the last 30 years, the life expectancy of people with intellectual disability has increased more dramatically than that of the general population” (Bigby, 2010). Doka and Lavin (2003) report that advances in medical care and a shift to deinstitutionalization have contributed to this increase in life expectancy for developmentally disabled adults. Increasingly, federal policy has linked addressing the housing needs of older adults with those of low-income and non-elderly disabled individuals, according to

An intellectual disability, like the one had by Roland Johnson and about one percent to three percent of people, is defined as “a disability that is present at birth or occurs in the developmental period (before the age of 18) and is characterized by significant sub-average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitations in 2 or more areas of adaptive functioning” (Daul). Roland Johnson, though his life was hard, did not let his “limitations” limit him.

Though all three criteria must be met, during diagnosis emphasis is placed on the individual’s level of intellectual impairment. In order to determine this, IQ tests such as the Wechsler intelligence scale are completed and the results used to determine if an individual has a learning disability. A person is deemed to have a learning disability if on these IQ tests they score below 70.

The first step in any research is to accurately define the population of interest. Intellectual Disability (ID) has been called by many different terms: mental retardation, learning disability, mental handicap, and developmentally delayed. Generally, these terms are accepted as interchangeable (Schalock, Luckasson & Shogren, 2007). However, over time some of the characteristics required to receive a diagnosis of ID has changed. In the recent past, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Metal Disorders Text Revised (DSM IV TR) identified three criteria necessary to be diagnosed with ID. This included: impairments of intellectual functioning (IQ<70) are not necessarily excluded from the diagnosis. By deemphasized the importance of low IQ the as a defining feature of ID the diagnosis expanded its definition to include individual assessed with borderline intelligence and above (fact sheet reference).

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.

According to the website for the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, IDD is defined as: intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills. Furthermore, there are three major criteria for intellectual disability: significant limitations in intellectual functions, significant limitations in adaptive behavior, and onset before the age of 18. IDD is not determined by an IQ test; however, it does help in measuring mental function. A test score below of around 70—or as high as 75—indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning. (http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition/faqs-on-intellectual-disability#.VZvvE8JRHrc).

Intellectual disability, once referred to as mental retardation, is a disability that refers to a person’s limitation in intelligence (Foreman and Arthur-Kelly,2014). The most common causes of intellectual disabilities are genetic

In order for a student to be diagnosed with an intellectual disability the child must have an IQ significantly lower than the average to the general intellectual functioning and demonstrate significant deficits in adaptive, conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills as well. These deficits should be present during a child’s developmental years, before the age of 18.

The average IQ score is 100, a score above 130 is labelled as extremely smart while a score below 70 is labelled as developmental delays.

Individuals with ID are more likely to present with comorbid anxiety, affective psychotic, personality disorders, as well as a range of behavioral problems (Delgado). These problems can help be contained by medicine and regular treatments. Unfortunately, the mental health needs of a person with ID have been neglected. For example Delgado states, “A survey of counseling and clinical psychology programs found 67% of counseling and 75% of clinical psychology programs did not include issues pertaining to ID into their curriculum,” (Delgado). If issues pertaining ID is not included in a curriculum, there is no room for these people to further their learning in the specific ways needed. This displays that people with disabilities have no control over any of these conditions and we are not meeting the standards to help them. Therefore, people do not need to ignorant and insult people with ID and others around them when they have no control. Changes need happen to improve the lives of those who have disabilities in order to protect them in the presence of others who do not suffer from