Intellectual Disability, Better, Or Better Known As ( Id ) Is A Disorder

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

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.

Disabilities; these may include a physical or learning disability. Children with a learning disability may not be capable of holding their attention for an extended period or pay close attention in class. A learning disability is not a problem with intelligence, disorders are caused by a difference in how information is received, processed and communicated in the brain.

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.

Some of these include but are not limited to any sort of confusion in any new experiences or encounters, and children often display shorter attention spans. Often times they display limited skills in communicating with others (Siskin). The IQ categorization for the severity of the learning disabilities is broken up into four parts, with each categorization increasing in the severity of the symptoms presented. The first is Mild which is represented at levels between 50 and 70. The second is Moderate being represented at 35-55. The next is Severe at 20-40. The final categorization is Profound at levels 20 and below

He fears that some educators were doing this to get these students out of their classrooms and were using the definition of ID to do it. Ms. Rama the regular classroom educator spoke of her trouble with the definition. She indicated that the definition not only identifies ID, but allowed for other disabilities as well. The definition states that students with mental retardation may be deficient in the following areas: communication, physical care, home environment, social skills, self-direction, community use, health and safety, limited academic ability, leisure and work. If a student has any two of these deficiencies then they qualify as being ID (Thomas, 1996). Both educators expressed a similar problem with the classification of students with ID. The classification of students with ID is not universal, meaning that a student from another state could have mild/moderate ID and not be identified according to that states classification. This can lead to a student not getting the assistance that they need. They expressed that it would better serve students with ID if one set of classification were used in the entire United States.

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).

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).

Learning – Moderate intellectual disability in affected males, mild intellectual disability in affected females, learning disabilities

The intellectual level of an individual is based on a number of factors including their IQ score, which is acquired by taking a standardized intelligence test. Individuals with intellectual disabilities have an IQ of 70 or less (“Levels of Intellectual Disability and Their Characteristics,” n.d.). Other factors in determining level of intellectual disability include personal characteristics, other disabilities, and level of support contributes to the individuals daily

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.

With this disorder they are incapable of making decisions and problem solving. People with IDD are not able to communicate, connect, and take care of themselves.