Developmental, Intellectual, and Learning Disabilities by Logan Adlesperger https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci Logan Adlesperger en-us 2018-02-01 19:43:31 UTC 2025-12-22 00:12:09 UTC hello@padlet.com 1. “Definition of Intellectual Disability” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227250072 Intellectual disability is also known as intellectual functioning. This form of mental capacity (Over learning, reasoning, problem solving, etc.) can be measured by an IQ test. Adaptive behavior, is known as the collection of conceptual, social and practical skills that are learned and used in everyday life. Some examples of this could be the knowledge of language, money, interpersonal skills, self-esteem, personal care, schedules, etc. The condition is most likely to be realized before the age of 18. It is also important that you look at the other environmental factors that could be causing the intellectual disability, such as peers, environment type, culture, etc. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:46:57 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227250072 2. “Intellectual Disabilities” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227250975 Throughout this video, Intellectual disability is defined as “significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior which covers many everyday social and practical skills.” As mentioned before, this certain disability originates before the child reaches 18 years old. 
Significant limitations in intellectual functions – affects every day things such as general mental capacity, problem solving, the ability to reason and understand information. Best test to use for this is an IQ test score. If score is in the 70-75 point range then this will show limitations in this category.
Significant limitations in adaptive behavior – This would include conceptual, social, and practical skills that are learned by most to be able to do the simple functions of everyday life. This would include the ability of reading, writing, social skills, obeying laws, day to day activities, safety, etc. The way these limitations are tested are by comparing what a child can do compared to the other individuals in the same age group. 
Originates before the age of 18- This just means that someone who has an intellectual disability, had to have something that changed the course of their development before they reached the age of 18.]]> 2018-02-01 19:48:34 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227250975 3. “Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227252252 This website had a ton of good strategies and methods for address the needs of individuals with an intellectual disability. 

Learning and Academics:
Some of these examples would include, using short and simple sentences to make sure understanding is easier, repetitive instructions, use strategies for remembering such as elaborative rehearsal and clustering information together. When trying to teach students it is important to put all skills in a context so there is a purpose, teach the students everyday decision making skills, remove as many distractions as you can, start with small steps to avoid overwhelming the student. There is no need to rush the student through tough assignments, small steps are still progress. It is really important not to give the child too much all at once because this might cause the student to get overwhelmed and shut down from all work. Do not create high expectations, and always provide positive feedback.    
 
Socialization:
When helping a child with an intellectual disability when socialization is involved, it is important to provide many opportunities to learn with their peers. Some ways to accomplish this would be group activities, have a social skill lesson daily, and provide opportunities of working in different environments. Ways of teaching socialization might include, asking students to imagine how their behavior is affecting others, teach others to ignore inappropriate behavior, comment on students behavior, social skills, turn-taking, social distance, reciprocal conversations etc.

Communication: 
By teaching communication, this is a way to make sure the students are expressing their wants and needs in an appropriate way. If you have an instance where your student might be non-verbal then you are able to use different forms of communication systems that work best for the individual student. You can teach communication by engaging students in role-plays that involve conversational skills, develop a procedure for the student asking for help, paraphrase back what the student has said, use story book sharing, etc. 

Daily Living:
Daily living is important skills that the children need to know. It is easiest to teach if you break the larger tasks down, so they are able to analyze them in steps. You can teach these skills by teaching occupational awareness, exploration, teaching material in relevant context, provide opportunities for them to be able to apply what they have learned, plan based on the individual students life, teach rules for dangerous situations, safety, hygiene habits, etc. 

Behavior:
When teaching behavior it is important to model the desired behaviors and clearly identity what behaviors you expect in your classroom. If the child breaks the rule, maybe it is best to have a token system so they can visually see that they lost a token because of their actions. With intellectual disabilities it is important to reinforce, have a calming area, have a hand to yourself rule, use visual organizes to help them evaluate the situations, explain your reasoning’s, etc. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:50:59 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227252252 4. “Learning Disabilities Defined” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227255232 This website opened my eyes up to the idea of learning disabilities. According to the website, 2.4 million students are diagnosed with a SLD, this statistic represents 41% of all students receiving Special Education Services.  A learning disability is defined as a neurological condition that interferes with an individual’s ability to produce, store, and process information. Some specific LDs mentioned include, Auditory Processing Disorder, Dyscalculia. Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, LPD, Non-Verbal LD, and Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:57:06 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227255232 5. “Learning Disabilities Video” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227255785 It is mentioned in the video that most individuals misunderstand the term learning disabilities. Learning disabilities is actually an umbrella term for a wide variety of learning problems. Having a learning disability does not mean that the child is not smart, it just means that they process, interpret, and learn information differently than their peers. Learning disabilities make is harder for students to develop and use their skills in math, writing, reading, work habits, and learning skills. Cognitive processing is also more difficult for individuals. These are due to genetic, other congenital and/or acquired neuro-biological factors. Often students who have a learning disability, often also feel the environmental sensitive, difficulties regulating emotions, fear of failure, self-judgment, frustration, negative view of themselves, etc. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:58:21 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227255785 6. “Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227256212 This website provides information on how we can help children with learning disabilities to learn. They found that some of the best intervention practices used that produce the largest outcomes are, direct instruction, learning strategy instruction, and using a sequential, simultaneous structures multi-sensory approach. 
Teachers who are using these strategies also, break the learning into smaller steps, always give positive feedback, use visual ways to teach, provide independent ways to practice, model the instructions for the students, provide prompts, and engage the students in process type questions. It is mentioned that success for the student with LD required a lot focus of the individuals achievement. Each student is different, it is best to find the one thing that helps the individuals learn in their own way. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:59:19 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227256212 7. “Developmental Disabilities Defined” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227256975   In the article “Colorado's Definition of Developmental Disabilities” they define the disability as a disability that is manifested before the person reaches the age of 22, which constitutes as a substantial disability to the affected individual.  This disability is attributable to mental retardation or related conditions which include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or other neurological conditions that could result in impairment of general intellectual functions or adaptive behavior. This disability can impair the general intellectual functions with means that if the individual has been determined to have a full scale IQ. Adaptive behavior just means that the person has an overall adaptive behavior composite or equivalent score that is two or more standard deviations below the normal average. Developmental Disability is only attributable to a physical or sensory impairment, as well as a mental illness. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:00:57 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227256975 8. “Developmental Disability Example – Down Syndrome” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227257984 Down syndrome is caused by the individual having an extra chromosome (no.21). Most individuals who are diagnosed with Down syndrome were born before their mother reached the age of 35. Down syndrome individuals are no different than anyone else, they enjoy their life just as much when they are well supported by their family and peers. Some individuals might consider Down syndrome to be an illness, but it is not, it just causes disabilities. Learning starts at birth for the individuals with Down syndrome and it never stops. Although some of the individuals may have some communication and speech problems, they are the best communicators and listener’s to be around! Individuals who have this disability are just as likely to be successful and live a full life. Back in 1960s the life expectancy for children with Down syndrome was only ten years old, today most of the individuals live into their 50s and 60s. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:03:14 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227257984 9. “Teaching Students with Developmental Disabilities” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227258376 When teaching students with developmental disabilities, it is still very important to make sure you are accessing the needs of each individual child. For teaching physical development, it is important to plan the physical activities when the students have the most energy, incorporate fun activities such as singing and dancing, give students blocks, clay, pencils, etc., have students practice every day physical activities such as buttoning, zipping, opening doors, etc. There are some good methods throughout this site when it comes to teaching the individuals cognitive development. The examples provided for some teaching methods used for this specific lesson are, providing hands on material, teach specific skills that is needed by individual students, show a picture when presenting new information verbally, be as concrete as you can be, use a visual timer so children transition between tasks, always provide encouraging support. Communication development is a big part of these children’s lives, some kids are very visual learners so it is helpful to use large pictures to reinforce what you are saying to them, keep reinforcing communication attempts, being repetitive is not a bad thing. Some kids learn by using active listening, modeling the speech around them, or learn through story book sharing lessons. When teaching social and emotional development to children with developmental disabilities it is important to use strategies to assist the students in separation issues, set a good routine for them, model the benefits. When teaching lessons, it is best to explain your reasoning’s for the limits and rules you set so the children have a better understanding. One of the most helpful techniques is when conflicts arise, when dealing with a conflict it is important to stay calm when explaining what happened, this will make the processing easier and less stressful. Like mentioned before, when teaching adaptive behavior, teaching life skills is one of the key techniques. It is best to break down these skills into smaller steps so the children are not overwhelmed. Provide many opportunities where these skills can be practiced as if they would use them in everyday life. It is good to get them into the habit of good health and hygiene. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:03:56 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227258376 10. “Autism Spectrum Disorder Definition” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227258746 Autism is a disorder that can cause a child to have problems with their communication and social skills. From personal experience, I highly agree that all children and individuals with autism are all completely different. Some individuals fixate themselves on certain things, even if its smell, touch, or a visual object. The way to look for signs of autism would be watching if your child has problems with their communication, social skills, behavior skills, gross motor skills, etc. The child might have an issues when it comes to understanding/using gestures, understand and using words, following directions that they are given, having normal conversations, learning to read and write, etc. Most individuals with autism have issues with their attention, they could have joint attention, hard to focus on one object or subject at a time. Behaviors associated with autism may include spinning, starring, flapping of hands, having trouble when transitioning, etc. 
Testing for autism, is usually done by an autism specialist. You can take your child to a pediatrician, neurologist, physical and occupational therapists, SLP, etc. There is really no treatment for autism, but if diagnosed at an early age it is best to take your child to professionals, and get them into a local early intervention and preschool programs. By taking your child to an SLP they will help your child with talking, reading, writing, understanding words, alternative communication, etc. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:04:48 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227258746 11. “More about Autism – Video” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227259516 This video describes how all of us individuals are all different, whether it be physical differences, personality differences, learning differences, we are all different and that is okay. All brains work differently, it works differently and controls our learning processes that are all different. The brain is wired differently for the individuals who have autism, this affects their interactions differently, as well as communication systems. It is very easy for the autistic individual’s brain to get overwhelmed, and their senses become too much at times. It is hard for children to express their emotions about how they are feeling. Autistic individuals develop ways for them to cope with the world, such as messing with their hands, rocking themselves, making noises, etc. “People with autism are not ill, or broken, they simply just have a unique view of the world.” I found this quote to be so inspiring, I wish everyone would look at autistic individuals the same way. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:06:21 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227259516 12. “ASD Case-Study – A Real Encounter” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227260144 After watching this video, it gave me a better understand of a real life experience with autism. I personally love learning about this disorder. I worked one on one with an autistic boy for 2 years and absolutely loved every minute of it, they have such a wonderful loving personality. Throughout the video you can see that Tessa is having some issues with school work, it seems overwhelming and frustrating to her. When she gets overwhelmed she pushes back. I love the way they have their schedules set up, 3 tasks and then she earns a star every 10 minutes. When I worked one on one, we did the same exact things and it worked so well, the student completed the tasks in order to get iPad time. I like how they give her a chart of what items she can choose from on her five minute break. Doing this method, motivates her even more to make it through the day. 
\]]> 2018-02-01 20:07:09 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227260144 13. “Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder” adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227260625 When teaching children communication skills with Autism, it is best to establish an appropriate functional communication system that works best for the individual child. While teaching communication you need to be sure to simplify your language, shorten the sentences, try to be as literal and clear as possible, avoid using sarcasm, teach the meaning behind puns and idioms, repeat instruction to check for understanding, etc. When teaching the skills of socialization to a child with autism, it is very important to not take rude or aggressive behavior personally. It is important to keep teaching the rules and skills repetitively, break them social skills down into non-verbal and verbal components, and target perspective-skills. There are many different methods and ideas when dealing with restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped behavior that might occur in a classroom. It is best to set a daily routine and make sure instruction is very clear, create a picture schedule if that works best for the student, encourage quiet noise levels, provide a “time-out” area, or a break area if the student needs a safe place to calm down. A good method that I used is printable cards that had the words sit, break, done, quiet, etc. on them, they also had visual representations. I used these cards throughout the class when transitioning, all autistic children have different preferences on how they manage and learn best. When teaching daily living, it is best to explain the essential grooming and self-care skills, teach the students to know the proper hygiene, and break the larger tasks down so they do not get overwhelmed. When teaching academics and organization, it is very important to make sure that there are very minimal distractions, do not give the student tasks that are too large and overwhelming. It is best to break the tasks down to different parts and make sure that they have a clear understanding of what “finished” means. This is a good time to have schedules for transitioning between assignments, tasks, classes, etc. A good schedule can either me written, visual, etc. ]]> 2018-02-01 20:07:52 UTC https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227260625 Application of Content: adlespergerlogan https://padlet.com/adlespergerlogan/xqquz5n5n5ci/wish/227265618 Developmental Disabilities: Teaching students with developmental disabilities would need to have the lessons modified for each student, whether they be low ability readers, ELL, etc. I plan on assessing each individual child's needs based on the level they are personally at in my classroom.
Intellectual Disabilities:
When teaching intellectual disabilities, I learned that it is very important to keep rehearsing this information to them. It is also very important to provide visual images that they can associate the words, sentences they are trying to work on. I plan on breaking down the bigger lessons into small part because this can be a very frustrating subject for the student with a disability to learn. I also plan on providing the opportunity for the students to do whole group activities and time to work with peers to encourage socialization.
Learning Disabilities:
When teaching children with learning disabilities in my classroom, I plan on providing tasks that are multisensory, always providing positive feedback even if it’s just completing small steps. I believe it is good to provide very detailed instructions when proving tasks. I will assess each child's individual needs and work with them one on one with the task that they are needing to work on at that time. It is important to remember that each individual child is going to be at a different learning spot.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: When teaching the children with autism, I plan on using visual schedules in my classroom. From personal experience I learned that visual schedules showing the tasks they have completed and the tasks they have left until break time is the best motivational solution. I think it is very important to always provide positive feedback and work towards their break time goal. 
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