Intellectual disability is characterized by deficits in cognitive ability and adaptive functioning that originate before age 18. It involves limitations in conceptual, social, and practical skills. The severity of intellectual disability can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound based on IQ scores. Causes include genetic syndromes, biological factors, medical conditions during pregnancy or birth, and psychosocial problems. Placement programs may include inclusion, individualized education, behavior therapy, and transition to adult services focusing on independent living skills and employment. Current research studies various approaches to improving academic engagement and quality of life for those with intellectual disability.

1. Menchie M. Garachico
Freddie C. Santos Jr.
INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITY

2. *―An intellectual disability, formerly
referred to as ―mental retardation‖ is
characterized by a combination of deficits
in both cognitive functioning and adaptive
behavior.
*The severity of the intellectual disability is
determined by the discrepancy between
the individual's capabilities in learning and
in and the expectations of the social
environment.
(Project IDEAL, 2008)
The Nature of Intellectual Disability

3. *―Mental retardation / intellectual
disability is a term used when a person has
certain limitations in mental functioning
and skills such as communicating, taking
care of himself/herself and social skills.
*These limitations cause a child to learn and
develop more slowly than a typical child.
(J.F. Smith Library, 2005, as cited by Pierangelo & Giuliani, 2007)
The Nature of Intellectual Disability

4. Mental Retardation/ Intellectual Disability in
DSM – IV – TR is an Axis II Disorder criteria that
includes:
* Intelligence Test Scores
* Adaptive Functioning
* Age of Onset
(DSM-IV-TR, 2000)
The Nature of Intellectual Disability

5. “Significantly sub-average general
intellectual functioning, existing
concurrently with deficits in adaptive
behavior and manifested during the
developmental period, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance.‖
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
Definitions for Intellectual Disability

6. ―Characterized by significant limitations
both in intellectual functioning and
adaptive behavior, which covers many
everyday social and practical skills. The
disability originates before the age of 18.‖
AAIDD (American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)
Definitions for Intellectual Disability

7. *Conceptual skills—language and literacy; money,
time, and number concepts; and self-direction.
*Social skills—interpersonal skills, social
responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naïveté (i.e.,
wariness), social problem solving, and the ability to
follow rules/obey laws and to avoid being
victimized.
*Practical skills—activities of daily living (personal
care), occupational skills, healthcare,
travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety,
use of money, use of the telephone.

8. *Mild IQ = 55 – 69
*Moderate IQ = 40 – 54
*Severe IQ = 25 – 39
*Profound IQ = below 25
Severity of ID based on the levels of
intellectual functioning

9. Intellectual disability is the most common
developmental disability.
Approximately 6.5 million people in the
United States have an intellectual disability.
(IDEA)
In the Philippines, intellectual disability
comprises 7.02% of the total population of
persons with disabilities.
(2000 National Statistics Office Census)
Prevalence of Intellectual Disability

10. PRENATAL CAUSES PERINATAL CAUSES POSTNATAL CAUSES
1. Chromosomal
Disorders
2. Inborn Errors of
Metabolism
3. Developmental
Disorders of Brain
Formation
4. Environmental
Influences
1. Anoxia
(complete deprivation of oxygen)
2. Low birth weight (LBW)
3. Syphilis and
herpes simplex
1. Biological
2. Psychosocial
3. Child Abuse and
Neglect
Etiology and Classifications of Intellectual Disability

11. PRENATAL CAUSES

12. *Congenital intellectual
disability
*Involves heart defects, hearing
loss, and abnormalities of
fingers and hands.
*Manifest self-injurious behavior
(Pierangelo & Giuliani,2007)
PRENATAL CAUSES
Cornelia de Lange
Syndrome

13. *Difficulty swallowing and
sucking
*Low birth weight and poor
growth
*Unusual facial features
*Hyperactive, aggressive, and
repetitive movements
(Pierangelo & Giuliani,2007)
PRENATAL CAUSES
Cri-du-Chat
Syndrome

14. *Also referred to as trisomy 21
*Usually not an inherited condition
*The most common type of
chromosomal disorder
*It involves the anomaly at the 21st
set of chromosomes.
*People with DS exhibits unusual
facial features and with broad
hands with short fingers
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003)
PRENATAL CAUSES
Down’s Syndrome

15. *Sterility in men
*Decreased IQ
*Poor coordination
*Skeletal abnormalities
*Poor coordination
(Pierangelo & Giuliani, 2007)
PRENATAL CAUSES
Klinefelter’s
Syndrome

16. *Inherited from father
*Infants are lethargic and have
difficulty eating but eventually
becomes obsessed with food as
they grow
*The leading genetic cause of
obesity.
*People with Prader-Willi syndrome
are at risk for a variety of other
health problems such heart
defects, kidney
problems, scoliosis, etc. Prader-Willi Syndrome
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003)

17. *Normally found in females
*Persons with Turner’s
syndrome has webbing of the
neck, puffiness or swelling of
the hands and feet
*Associated with heart defects
and kidney problems
Turner’s Syndrome
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Pierangelo & Giuliani,2007)

18. *Caused by the absence of material
on the seventh pair of
chromosome.
*People with William’s syndrome
exhibit heart defects and “elfin”
facial features.
*Their unusual sensitivity to sound
makes them competent in music
and language despite of their low
IQ level.
William’s Syndrome
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003) (Pierangelo & Giuliani, 2007)

19. *Most common known hereditary
cause of intellectual disability
*Associated with X chromosome in the
23rd pair of chromosomes
*Occurs less often in females
*Persons with Fragile X Syndrome
have behavior and emotional
problems and poor socialization skills
*They become anxious when routines
are change
*They have unusual facial features Fragile X Syndrome
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003) (Piearangelo & Giuliani, 2007)

20. PRENATAL CAUSES

21. *Galactosemia - inability of the
body to use simple sugar
galactose
*Hunter Syndrome – defective
breakdown of chemical
mucopolysaccharide.
*Phenylketonuria (PKU) –
inability of the body to convert
phenylalanine to tyrosine)
*Tay-Sachs Disease – absence of
Hex-A enzyme.
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Piearangelo & Giuliani, 2007)
Can be prevented through an early detection
(e.g. newborn screening) and can be treated
by providing a special diet program.

22. PRENATAL CAUSES

23. *The intellectual disability
usually ranges from severe to
profound.
*There is no specific
treatment and life
expectancy is low.
Microcephalus
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003)

24. *Results from an accumulation
of cerebrospinal fluid inside
or outside the brain.
*The degree of intellectual
disability depends on how
early the condition is
diagnosed and treated.
Hydrocephalus
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003)

25. PRENATAL CAUSES

26. *Maternal Malnutrition and
Infection
*Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
*Lead exposure
*Illicit drug exposure
*Exposure to Radiation
*Rubella (German measles)
PRENATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003) (Piearangelo & Giuliani, 2007)

27. PERINATAL CAUSES

28. *Anoxia (deprivation of oxygen)
*Low birth weight (LBW)
*Syphilis and herpes simplex
PERINATAL CAUSES
(Hallahan & Kauffman,2003)

29. POSTNATAL CAUSES
Environmental and
Psychosocial Problems

30. *Nutritional Problems
*Adverse living conditions
*Inadequate health care
*Lack of early cognitive
stimulation
POSTNATAL CAUSES
Environmental and
Psychosocial Problems
(Pierangelo & Giuliani,2007)

31. *Child abuse and neglect
*Traumatic Brain Injury
*Meningitis or Encephalitis
*Lead Poisoning
POSTNATAL CAUSES
Environmental and
Psychosocial Problems
(Pierangelo & Giuliani,2007)

32. PLACEMENT
PROGRAMS
for Persons with
Intellectual Disabilities

33. *For children with mild intellectual disability, readiness and functional academic
skills are present and thus can be placed into Inclusion Programs.
*Educational placement programs for children with moderate to severe intellectual
disability can be more tedious. Curriculum and materials for these children should
be age-appropriate, which should help develop independent behavior within the
child.
*Individualized Education Program (IEP) is designed to cater the special
educational needs of special children. This is a useful and common vehicle to
develop skills and educate children with intelletual disabilities who are in more
severe cases.
*Behavior Therapy Programs may also be employed, as they are very useful in
altering behavior by lessening distruptive or inappropriate actions of a particular
child.
*Alternative Programs can also be incorporated in a child’s special education
process. Such programs would include vocational training, physical education,
theatre, music, etc.

34. *Unlike preschool programs for
children at risk, in which the
goal is to prevent intellectual
disability from
occurring, programs for infants
and preschoolers who are
already identified with
intellectual disability are
designed to help them achieve as
high a cognitive level as possible
(Hallahan & Kauffman, 2003).
PLACEMENT PROGRAMS
Early Childhood

35. *These programs gives more
emphasis on conceptual and
language development and
usually involves speech and
physical therapists most
specially when children have
multiple disabilities.
PLACEMENT PROGRAMS
Early Childhood

36. *Most authorities agree that
although the degree of emphasis
on transition programming should
be greater for older than for
younger students, such
programming should begin in the
elementary years (Hallahan &
Kauffman, 2003).
PLACEMENT PROGRAMS
Transition to Adulthood

37. *Transition programming for
individuals involves two related
areas; first, community
adjustment to acquire a number
of self-help skills and
second, employment to lead to a
meaningful job.
PLACEMENT PROGRAMS
Transition to Adulthood

38. Current Researches
about
Intellectual Disability

41. Cerrero, M. E. (2009) Academic engagement of learners with moderate mental retardation through
pictorial self-management and video self-modeling , Unpublished Master’s Thesis, University
of the Philippines – Diliman
Clark, L.L. and Griffiths, P. (2008) Learning Disability and other Intellectual
Impairments, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Davidson, P.W., Janicki, M.P. and Prasher, V.P. (2003) Mental Health,
Intellectual Disabilities and Aging Process, Blackwell Publishing
Definition of Intellectual Disability, AAIDD (2006) retrieved from:
http://www.aaidd.org/content_100.cfm
Drew, C.J. and Hardman, M.L. (2007) Intellectual Disabilities Across the Life
Span, 9th edition, Pearson Education, Inc.
Friend, M. (2011) Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School
Professionals, 3rd edition, Pearson Education, Inc.
Hallahan, D.P. and Kauffman, J. M. (2003) Exceptional Learners:
Introduction to Special Education, 9th edition, Pearson Education, Inc.
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http://www.projectidealonline.org/intellectualDisabilities.php
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of the Philippines – Diliman
Oliver-Africano, P., Murphy, D., & Tyrer, P. (2009). Aggressive behaviour in
adults with intellectual disability. CNS Drugs,23(11), 903-13.
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