Intellectual disabilities happen in different degrees or amounts, though most often are relatively mild. Traditionally the intensity or “amount” of the disability was defined by scores on a standardized test of scholastic aptitude (or “IQ test”), with lower scores indicating more severe disability. (More about these tests in Standardized and other formal Assessments.) Because of the insensitivity of such tests to individuals' daily social functioning, however, current trends are toward defining intensities by the amount of support needed by the individual. Table 5.2 summarizes the most commonly used scheme for this purpose, one created by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAMR, 2002). Levels of support range from intermittent (just occasional or “as needed” for specific activities) to pervasive (continuous in all realms of living).
|
Level of support |
Duration of support |
Frequency of support |
Setting of support |
Amount of professional assistance |
|
Intermittent |
Only as needed |
Occasional or infrequent |
Usually only one or two (e.g. 1-2 classes or activities) |
Occasional consultation or monitoring by professional |
|
Limited |
As needed, but sometimes continuing |
Regular, but frequency varies |
Several settings, but not usually all |
Occasional or regular contact with professionals |
|
Extensive |
Usually continuing |
Regular, but frequency varies |
Several settings, but not usually all |
Regular contact with professionals at least once a week |
|
Pervasive |
May be lifelong |
Frequent or continuous |
Nearly all settings |
Continuous contact and monitoring by professionals |
Source: American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002: Schalock & Luckassen, 2004.
As a classroom teacher, the intellectual disabilities that you are most likely to see are the ones requiring the least support in your classroom. A student requiring only intermittent support may require special help with some learning activities or classroom routines, but not others; he or she might need help with reading or putting on winter clothes, for example, but primarily on occasions when there is pressure to do these things relatively quickly. Students requiring somewhat more support are likely to spend somewhat less time in your classroom and more time receiving special help from other professionals, such as a special education teacher, a speech and language specialist, or an assistant to these professionals. These circumstances have distinct implications for ways of teaching these students.
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