Understanding Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

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It is important to understand the terms that are associated with intellectual disabilities. The first term is disability. Disability is an individual performing which includes physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual mental illness impairments, and various types of chronic diseases. The next term involves intelligence. This term is the ability to think logically, reason out problems, prepare, understand difficult ideas, examine intellectually, and the ability to determine quickly and or acquire from experience. Third term is adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior is the collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that all individuals learn in order to perform in their everyday lives. An example of conceptual skills is idea of numbers. Following rules are an example of social skills. Practical skills involve the use of money in society (“Assessment Psychology,” (n.d.).

Understanding Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Research reveals that currently approximately one million United States students that have disabilities are between the ages of 3 through 21. Therefore, these special needs students are eligible for special services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, only 34 percent of students have intellectual disabilities and 40 percent of the students are with multiple disabilities. In the 2007 through 2008 school year 56 percent autism students graduated with a regular high school diploma (Lewis, 2011). Therefore, in this essay the definition, characteristics, and causes of intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, autism, severe disabilities, and deaf-blindness will be discussed.

The first definition, characteristic and cause discussed...

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...uccessfully in society. As stated by IDEA all students are required to be educated in the setting that will meet his or her needs. Students that have severe and multiple disabilities can be involved in general education classes. However, if the student cannot function in a special education and or regular education classroom settings they will be placed in a residential home and or institution. Deaf blindness according to IDEA is not included in the special education program. “Despite the challenges their disabilities impose on their lives these students exhibit warmth, persistence, determination, cheerfulness, a sense of humor, sociability and various other desirable traits” (Heward, 2009, p. 458). Therefore, teachers find it a pleasure to teach these students. Teachers also look forward to observing their progress in school, home, and community settings.

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