- Students with special educational needs
into single, longer sessions. Whatever the strategies that you use, they should be consistent, predictable, and
generated by the student as much as possible. By having these qualities, the strategies can strengthen the student’s
self-direction and ability to screen out the distractions of classroom life. The goal for teachers, in essence, is to build
the student’s metacognitive capacity, while at the same time, of course, treating the student with respect.
Intellectual disabilities...................................................................................................................................
An intellectual disability is a significant limitation in a student’s cognitive functioning and daily adaptive
behaviors (Schalock & Luckasson, 2004; American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002). The student may
have limited language or impaired speech and may not perform well academically. Compared to students with
learning disabilities discussed earlier, students with intellectual disabilities have impairments to learning that are
broader and more significant. They score poorly on standardized tests of intelligence (like the ones discussed later,
in Chapter 12). Everyday tasks that most people take for granted, like getting dressed or eating a meal, may be
possible, but they may also take more time and effort than usual. Health and safety can sometimes be a concern (for
example, knowing whether it is safe to cross a street). For older individuals, finding and keeping a job may require
help from supportive others. The exact combination of challenges varies from one person to another, but it always
(by definition) involves limitations in both intellectual and daily functioning.
As a teacher, you may hear more than one term for describing students with intellectual disabilities. If the
disability is mild, teachers sometimes refer to a student with the disability simply as a slow learner, particularly if
the student has no formal, special supports for the disability, such as a teaching assistant hired specifically to assist
the student. If the disability is more marked, then the student is more likely to be referred to either as having an
intellectual disability or as having mental retardation. In this chapter I primarily use the term intellectual
disability, because it has fewer negative connotations while still describing one key educational aspect of the
disability, cognitive impairment. Keep in mind, however, that actual intellectual disabilities are always more than
cognitive: they also involve challenges about adapting to everyday living.
Levels of support for individuals with intellectual disabilities
Intellectual disabilities happen in different degrees or amounts, though most often are relatively mild.
Traditionally the intensity or “amount” of the disability was defined by scores on a standardized test of scholastic
aptitude (or “IQ test”), with lower scores indicating more severe disability. (More about these tests in Chapter 12.)
Because of the insensitivity of such tests to individuals’ daily social functioning, however, current trends are toward
defining intensities by the amount of support needed by the individual. Table 13 summarizes the most commonly
used scheme for this purpose, one created by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AAMR, 2002). Levels of support range from intermittent (just occasional or “as needed” for specific
activities) to pervasive (continuous in all realms of living).
Table 13: Levels and areas of support for intellectual disabilities
Level of
supportDuration of
supportFrequency of
supportSetting of
supportAmount of
professional
assistance
Intermittent Only as needed Occasional or Usually only one Occasional