Intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual
functioning and in adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before age 18.
educational performance.”An individual is considered to have an intellectual disability based on the following three criteria:
General Cognition
People with intellectual disabilities vary physically and emotionally, as well as by personality,
disposition, and beliefs. Their apparent slowness in learning may be related to the delayed
rate of intellectual development The score of an IQ test is less important in determining the general cognition, or ability and facility in obtaining information, of a person with intellectual disability than the types and amount of support needed to function at specified tasks or levels.
Learning and Memory
The learning and memory capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities are significantly
below average in comparison to peers without disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities
develop learning sets at a slower pace than peers without disabilities, and they are deficient
in relating information to new situations
Attention
To acquire information, children must attend to the learning task for the required length of time
and control distractions. Children with intellectual disabilities may have difficulty distinguishing
and attending to relevant questions in both learning and social situations .The problem is not that the student will not pay attention, but rather that the student does not understand or does not filter the information to get to the salient features .
Adaptive Skills
The adaptive skills of people with intellectual disabilities are often not comparable to those of
theirs peers without disabilities. A child with intellectual disabilities may have difficulty in both
learning and applying skills for a number of reasons, including a higher level of distractibility,
inattentiveness, failure to read social cues, and impulsive behaviour .
Self-Regulation
The ability to rehearse a task is related to a broad concept known as self-regulation, or the
ability to mediate or regulate one’s own behaviour. In information-processing theory, the learning differences in people with intellectual disabilities are seen as the underdevelopment of metacognitive processes. The lack or underdevelopment of these skills notably affects memory, rehearsal skills, organizational ability, and being in control of the process of learning
Speech and Language
People with intellectual disabilities may have delayed speech, language comprehension and
formulation difficulties. Language problems are generally associated with delays in language
development rather than with a bizarre use of language .People with intellectual disabilities may show delayed functioning on pragmatic aspects of language, such as turn taking, selecting acceptable topics for conversation, knowing when to speak knowing when to be silent, and similar contextual skills
Motivation
People with intellectual disabilities are often described as lacking motivation, or outer-directed
behaviour. Past experiences of failure and the anxiety generated by those failures may make
them appear to be fewer goals directed and lacking in motivation. The result of failure is often
learned helplessness.
Academic Achievement
The cognitive inefficiencies of children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities lead to
persistent problems in academic achievement Children with mild intellectual disabilities are better at decoding words than comprehending their meaning and read below their own mental-age level . Children with intellectual disabilities may be able to learn basic computations, but may be unable to apply concepts appropriately in a problem-solving situation
Physical characteristics
Children with intellectual disabilities with differing biological etiologies, may exhibit coexisting
problems, such as physical, motor, orthopedic, visual and auditory impairments, and health
problems . A relationship exists between the severity of the intellectual disabilities and the extent of physical differences for the individual.The majority of children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities have multiple disabilities that affect nearly every aspect of intellectual and physical development .
Speech-sy’s assessment for ID includes :-
Developmental History:Gathering information about the child’s developmental milestones related to speech, language, and cognitive abilities from parents and caregivers.
Standardized Tests:Tools such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) assess receptive language skills.
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) evaluates overall language abilities across various domains.
Observational Analysis: Observing communication behaviors during structured tasks and naturalistic settings helps identify specific areas of difficulty in real-life contexts.
Adaptive Behavior Scales: Assessing functional communication skills through standardized scales that measure daily living skills and social interactions (e.g., Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales).
Parent/Caregiver Input: Gathering qualitative data from parents about the child’s communication challenges across different environments provides valuable context for assessment.
Hearing ScreeningConducting hearing assessments to ensure that hearing loss is not contributing to communication difficulties.
Mainly the Speech-sy’s assess areas such as :-
Key Areas of Focus
1.Receptive Language Skills:
– Enhancing the ability to understand spoken language and follow directions.
– Techniques include using visual supports, simplifying language, and breaking down instructions into manageable steps.
– Improving the ability to express thoughts, needs, and feelings verbally or through alternative methods.
– Strategies may involve vocabulary building, sentence structure exercises, and using prompts to encourage spontaneous speech.
– Targeting articulation and clarity of speech sounds to improve intelligibility.
– Techniques include phonetic placement strategies, repetition drills, and sound shaping activities.
– Teaching appropriate social interactions, such as greetings, turn-taking, and understanding nonverbal cues (e.g., facial expressions, gestures).
– Role-playing and social stories can be effective methods for practicing these skills.
– Focusing on communication skills necessary for daily living, including requesting help, making choices, and expressing preferences.
– Incorporating real-life scenarios into therapy sessions helps generalize skills.
Methods and Techniques Used by Speech-sy’s
– Providing tools such as communication boards, picture exchange systems, or speech-generating devices for individuals with limited verbal abilities.
– Training individuals to use AAC effectively to enhance their communication capabilities.
– Teaching individuals to use functional communication methods in place of challenging behaviors.
– Involves identifying specific communication needs and teaching appropriate ways to express them.
– A naturalistic approach where the SLP encourages communication during everyday activities by prompting the individual to express their needs or desires.
– This method capitalizes on spontaneous opportunities for communication.
– Utilizing play as a medium for learning language and social skills in a comfortable setting.
– Engaging activities promote interaction and communication while addressing specific therapeutic goals.
– Using visual aids such as charts, pictures, or videos to support understanding and expression of language concepts.
– Visual schedules can help individuals follow routines and understand sequences of events.
– Educating families on effective communication strategies to reinforce skills at home.
– Involving caregivers in therapy sessions ensures consistency in approaches used across different settings.
– Facilitating social skills groups where individuals can practice communication with peers in a structured environment.
– Encouraging interaction among participants helps generalize learned skills to real-life situations.
SLPs play a critical role in supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities by implementing targeted interventions that promote effective communication and foster independence across various environments.
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