Category: Disabilities

Understanding Mental Retardation

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Mental Retardation poses many research issues relating to identification, terminology, and laws of mental retardation. Through better understanding mental retardation and the concept related to it, one can greater appreciate those affected by them and perhaps find ways to resolve them.

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Identification

IQ scores, for the population, are found on a normal curve (Heward, 2003). Those individuals with Mental Retardation fall two standard deviations from the mean of the population and consist of approximately 2.3% of the population (Heward, 2003). For a child to be considered mentally retarded, they had to score approximately 70 or less on a standardized IQ test. A child that scores above 75 or more on these tests may still be considered mentally retarded, if the clinician indicates that the individuals adaptive skills are greatly impaired due to intellectual functioning (Heward, 2003).

These IQ tests that children take are often criticized, as they cannot necessarily define a child’s level of functioning. The tests are based highly on verbal skills and academic functioning, which is correlated with the child’s success at school. These skills however may not be strictly limited because of cognitive functioning, but rather a result of physical impairments, different cultural background, a bad day, the time, the location, and a number of other variables. Children’s scores on these tests may also change over time when they undergo intervention.

It is important for all individuals to remember that intelligence is a hypothetical construct. People assume that it takes a certain level of intelligence to perform the specific tasks on the IQ tests (Heward, 2003). It is also for people to remember that just because they or their child scored low on the IQ test does not mean that they are limited in their ability to learn. Through intervention, the score can be raised. They may need to work harder than some others, but they too can be very successful.

Terminology

In 1955, AAMR published its first manual on the definitions and classifications of mental retardation. It gave a standard deviation of only one below the mean or approximately a score of 85 on an IQ test (Heward, 2003). This new definition presented many boarder line cases, which were now being educated in special classes (Heward, 2003).

There are other changes that have also occurred throughout the history of mental retardation. In the past, these individuals have been labeled feeble-minded, morons, educatably retarded, trainably retarded, mentally deficient, idiots, cretin, high level, and/or low level (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, Smith, & Leal, 2002). Today they are more often referred to as having mild, moderate, or severe retardation with needing intermittent, pervasive, extensive, or limited supports (Turnbull et Al, 2002).

These labels are often created out of political propaganda and still may not soothe all the individuals affected by the label. Labels also can construct how an individual is perceived. This can limit others expectations on the individual and prohibit others from seeing the person as an equal. Labels can also lead to name calling and psychological scaring.

It is important for teachers and others working with those diagnosed as Mentally Retarded not to overlook the individual. The child’s goals and curriculum should not be geared toward this diagnosis, but rather to the individual’s next steps and needs. It is also important to break social barriers early by helping educate other about what it truly means to have mentally retardation.

Laws

There are laws that help to protect the rights of the individual with MR. One of them is the home of your own initiative (AAMR, n.d). It is an initiative to help people with mental retardation, and other disabilities, own or control their own housing. According to AAMR’s website, “The initiative’s goal is to create an infrastructure of exemplary practices and public and private sector partnerships which link the home mortgage and social services industries to better serve people with disabilities.” By being in control of their own housing, those with Mental Retardation and other disabilities can control where they live, whom the live with, and their daily routines.

By having a law like this set up, it can often help provide funding for the individuals with mental retardation to gaining the supports necessary. Laws can also help to protect the individual’s rights. All laws made, however, are not necessarily appropriate for all individuals. For example, the law on No Child Left Behind may mean inclusion for children that may do better in special classes and not main streamed classes. When Lawmakers make these laws and then others vote on them, the population needs to look at every aspect, the bad and the good, and see if it is truly worth the bad to get the good or if there is another way to go about the law to include more positive and less negative.

Conclusion

People do make the choices to come up with laws, definitions, and terminology. There is undoubtedly no way to make everyone happy, but it is important to try our hardest to ease the problems associated with each of these subjects.

References

American Association on Mental Retardation. (2004). Legislation. Retrieved January 8, 2006, from http://www.aamr.org/Policies/faq_mental_retardation.shtml (Available today at http://www.aamr.org/)

Drew, C. J., & Hardman, M. L. (2003). Mental retardation: A life cycle approach (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Heward, William L. (2003). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education (7th ed.). Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Thomas, G. E. (1996). Teaching students with mental retardation: A life goal curriculum planning approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice.

Turnbull, Rud, Ann Turnbull, Marilyn Shank, Sean Smith, & Dorthy Leal (2002).Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools(3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall

Children trying to catch fish with buckets

Aspects of Behavioral Disorders

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IDEA (federal law), defines serious emotional disabilities as:

a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance: An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

Children trying to catch fish with buckets

Considering this definition, there are many aspects of behavioral disorders and a multitude of areas that they can effect.

Within the classroom, behavioral disorders (also can be referred to as emotional disability) become apparent when a student displays a repetitive and impact persistent pattern of behavior that results in the significant disruption in other students. Such disturbances may cause significant impairments in academic, social, and or occupational functioning. Such a behavior pattern is consistent throughout the individual’s life. There can be difficulty with these children and sometimes the classroom can only provide services to a limited area where the child can get help. Often more support is needed, but it can be difficult finding a balance between getting the child help and the teacher properly communicating with the parent.

Some characteristics of emotional disturbances include: bullying, exhibiting lots of physical aggression, showing little remorse and compassion, destruction of others property, blame others for wrong doings, and physical abuse of others. Disruptive behavioural disorders are complicated and may include many different factors working in combination. For example, a child who exhibits the delinquent behaviours of CD may also have ADHD, anxiety, depression, a drug abuse problem and a difficult home life. This can make working with it difficult as it takes patience and understanding. These students can also be disruptive to other children in the classroom making it even more difficult.

Emotional disabilities can also affect a child inwardly, so that although they might not appear behavioral they can greatly impact the child’s education. The emotional disability may provide limited distractions to others, but the child cannot find it within themselves to focus and learn.

In all the above cases, it is important to get the child help both within the classroom and outside counseling. It is also important to follow through with doctor instructions to allow the child the best opportunities available to succeed. It can also be rewarding watching the children succeed and get beyond the disability.

My Child has a Learning Disability, What Now?

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As a parent, it can be difficult to learn of your child’s learning disability. A basic definition of a learning disability is an impairment that affects the way a child learns and can make it more difficult for them to reach age typical goals. There are a variety of different strategies and techniques that can be used to help a child with a learning disability achieve their educational goals.

walls of knowledge.
Creative Commons License photo credit: Tommy Ellis

An important place to start is with educating yourself is with your local school district on their policies, procedures, and programs available for your child. A child’s eligibility to Special education services is not to be identified by one limited test. Arizona implements the right for all children to have a free appropriate public education, FAPE. It is part of Arizona specified process to identify, locate, and evaluate all students with disabilities. This means, whether the child is at a private or public school, teachers need to be aware of their students needs. The child’s IEP, individual education plan, team, which includes family and professionals, should decide the child’s need for special education and for other available services. Children are also to be re-evaluated, every three years, throughout their educational process. These assessments will be followed with evaluation reports that summarize the child’s current level of development. Children are to be assessed by tests that are none prejudice and not bias to any group/demographic of people. According to Arizona Department of Education’s website, http://www.ade.az.gov,

“For a child suspected of having a specific learning disability, the documentation of the team’s determination of eligibility will include: whether the child has a specific learning disability; the basis for making the determination; the relevant behavior noted during the observation of the child; the relationship of that behavior to the child’s academic functioning; the educationally relevant medical findings, if any; whether there is severe discrepancy between achievement and ability that is not correctable without special education and related services; the determination of the team concerning the effects of environment, cultural or economic disadvantage; and each team member will certify in writing whether the report reflects his/her conclusion. If it does not reflect his/her conclusion, the team member must submit a separate statement presenting his or her conclusion.”

Each individual school district has separate programs. Many start for children at the age of three. Most often these programs are great for children with language impairments and other early-diagnosed disabilities. In many special education classes, speech therapist are available to aid in directing educational activities to include components aimed at increasing language skills. Speech therapists may also be available for one-on-one consultation with children. There are also resource teachers available in most schools for more of a tutoring program to assist children in specific areas/subjects that they need more help with during their education. As a parent, it is important to ask your specific school what they offer, so that your child can get the best education for them to succeed to their full potential.

With both learning disabilities and language disorders, there are lots of questions for parents to find the answers to. There is information on the web, in libraries, and available through government and school programs. Take advantage of these resources so that your child can maximize their education experience.