(c) 2006 by pearson education. all rights reserved. characteristics of persons with mild mental...

(c) 2006 by Pearson Education. All Rights Reserved.

Characteristics of Persons with Mild Mental Retardation

Beirne-Smith et al.Mental Retardation, Seventh Edition

Copyright ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.


Overview• According to the 2002 definition offered by

AAMR, this group scores at least two standard deviations below the mean on intellectual and adaptive measures.

• Approximately 85% of people with intellectual disabilities are classified as “mild”

• Often not diagnosed until entering school





Demographics

• Disproportionately male

• Disproportionately from minority racial and ethnic groups

• Disproportionately from lower socioeconomic homes

• Numbers are affected by periodic changes in the definition of mental retardation





Motivational and Sociobehavioral Characteristics





Motivational Characteristics

• External Locus of Control– Learned Helplessness– Under-developed sense of self-determination

• Expectancy of Failure

• Outer-directedness





Sociobehavioral CharacteristicsPotential Problem Areas

• disruptiveness• low self-esteem • over-activity • distractibility and other attention-related

problems • interpersonal cognitive problem solving • establishing and maintaining interpersonal

relationships • inappropriate behavior





Sociobehavioral CharacteristicsMental Health Disorders

• Two- to three-fold higher rate than the general population

• Difficulties in diagnosis due to differences in behavioral manifestations





Sociobehavioral CharacteristicsImpact of Deficits

• More frequent peer rejection

• Vicious cycle of rejection and failure

• Risk for restrictive placement





Learning Characteristics





Cognitive Development

• Quantitative Perspective– Mental Age– Slower Development

• Qualitative Perspective– Difference Model– Uneven Development





Learning ProcessesAttention

• Selective Attention– the ability to attend to the relevant aspects of

the task at hand and to discard the irrelevant aspects

– Low selective attention = distractibility

• Sustained Attention– the ability to maintain one’s concentration

long enough to process and comprehend the information

– Low sustained attention = short attention span Beirne-Smith et al.Mental Retardation, Seventh Edition




Helping Individuals with Mild Intellectual Disability to

Increase Attention to Task• allow more trials

• allow more time

• present fewer task steps/components

• remove extraneous information

• increase difficulty more slowly

• teach decision making rules

• provide prompts for focusing attentionBeirne-Smith et al.Mental Retardation, Seventh Edition




Mediation StrategiesOrganization & Storage of Information

For learners with mild intellectual disabilities:

• Present grouped information

• Use examples that are familiar

• Teach mnemonics





Memory

• Memory deficits in mild intellectual disability result from– lack of selective attention – inefficient or nonexistent rehearsal strategies – delay in developing learning sets – problems generalizing learned skills to new

settings, with different people, or in different ways





Memory

• Long-term memory in people with mild intellectual disability works about as well as for people with no intellectual disability

• Short-term memory is affected by the deficits described on previous slide

• Executive control functions appear to be under-developed





Observational Learning

• Learning through watching appears to be a good approach, given the tendency towards outer-directedness

• Suggestions:– be aware that any behavior (even unwanted ones)

may serve as a model– use prompts or cues to direct students’ attention– call attention to students exhibiting desirable behavior– ignore undesirable behavior so that others do not

model it in an attempt to gain attention, – reward imitation of appropriate behavior.





Speech and Language Characteristics





Common Speech Problems

• Articulation– Sound substitution– Sound omission, addition, or distortion

• Voice

• Stuttering





Common Language Disorders

• Delayed language development

• Restricted vocabulary





Causes

• Language Disorders– Intrinsic link between language and

intelligence– Cultural deprivation– Lack of a model

• Speech Disorders– Motor dysfunction– Hearing impairment– Physical impairments (e.g., tongue protrusion)





Physical Health Characteristics





Sensorimotor Deficits

• Potential Motor Deficits– Balance– Locomotion– manipulative dexterity

• Potential Sensory Deficits– Sight– Color-Blindness– Hearing





Down SyndromeHealth-Related Problems

• heart defects – surgical procedures can be successful in correcting

• lung abnormalities – susceptibility to upper respiratory infections

• Leukemia – risk is higher than in the normal population.

• eye and ear infections• obesity• skin problems • problems of the teeth and gums• hearing impairments





Seizure Disorders

• Absence Seizures– Short staring spells

• Tonic-Clonic Seizures– Jerking– Possible loss of consciousness– Safety precautions

• Clear the immediate area• Loosen tight clothing• When possible, turn the person on their side• Stay with them• Allow rest following the seizure• Call emergency personnel if seizure lasts more than five

minutes





General Health Concerns• Substance Abuse

– Reduced rates– Increased susceptibility

• Nutrition– Risks include poverty, poor supervision, or lack of understanding

• Illness and Disease– Increased risk due to poverty and secondary conditions

• Accidents and Injury– Risks include poor coordination, poor judgment, impaired

reasoning, and secondary conditions

• Physical Activity– Important for emotional and physical health





Educational Characteristics





Placement Options

• More students with intellectual disabilities are being served in general education now than in the past

• Students with intellectual disabilities are more likely than students with other disabilities to be served in separate classes or separate facilities

• Research indicates special and general education personnel may not be appropriately prepared to teach students with intellectual disabilities in the regular classroom





Curriculum

• Most research favors a broad-based curriculum that prepares the student for life after school

• IEP analysis indicates an emphasis on academic goals





General

• Not every person who has mental retardation may display all the characteristics discussed in this chapter.

• The “mild” label refers to individuals who require few or no supports systems in most adaptive skills areas.

• People with mild intellectual disabilities are a heterogeneous group.

• These individuals have been referred to as educable or trainable in the past.





Demographics

• More males than females are identified.• Historically there have been a disproportionate

number of racially different and ethnic minority children labeled with mild mental retardation.

• Recent data support the description that many youth with intellectual disabilities live in blended families and come from families characterized by lower socioeconomic status.





Learning and Motivation

• Motivational characteristics include external locus of control, expectancy for failure, outer-directedness, and more limited self-regulatory behaviors.

• Social and behavioral problems are more likely, with some students displaying psychiatric problems as well.

• There is some difference of opinion whether cognitive development is qualitatively or quantitatively different from the general population.

• Various processes (attention, mediation strategies, memory, generalization) associated with learning can be problematic for this group.





Speech, Language, & Health

• Speech and language problems occur with great frequency among individuals with intellectual disabilities.

• Delayed language development frequently is a characteristic Motor development may be delayed in children who are retarded.

• Sensory deficits are more common among persons who have intellectual disabilities.

• Individuals with Down syndrome have a number of physical health considerations.

• Cerebral palsy and seizure disorders occur more frequently in persons who have intellectual disabilities.

• The data on the extent of substance abuse in this group are equivocal at this time.





Educational Characteristics

• Students with mental retardation are being served more frequently in general education classrooms for greater portions of the school day.

• Studies of IEP goals indicate a predominance of academic goals.

• Many students who have intellectual disabilities qualify for related services.

• The school exit rate for students with mental retardation has remained fairly stable over the past 5 years.




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