An individual is considered to have intellectual disability based on the following three criteria:
Intellectual functioning level
(IQ) is below 70-75;
Significant limitations exist in two or more adaptive skill
This condition is present from childhood
(defined as age 18 or less)
Intellectual disability is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Children with intellectual disability may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. Perhaps there may be some things they cannot learn.
What Is "IQ”?
"IQ" stands for " Intelligence Quotient”.
Calculating IQs:
The IQ is equal to 100 times the Mental Age (MA) divided by the Chronological Age (IQ = 100 X Mental Age/Age in Years)
Can Intelligence Be Measured With a Single Number?
Yes and no. One of the most serious criticisms of using a single number to assess intelligence is that people may be stronger in certain areas such as verbal skills, logical aptitude or spatial visualization than in others. Drs. Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein would be examples of geniuses, who were reputed to be extremely strong mathematically while being relatively weak verbally.
What are the adaptive skills essential for daily functioning?
Adaptive skill areas are those daily living skills needed to live, work and play in the community. They include …… communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics (reading, writing, basic math), community use and work.
Adaptive skills are assessed in the person's typical environment across all aspects of an individual's life.
A person with limits in intellectual functioning who does not have limits in adaptive skill areas may not be diagnosed as having intellectual disability.
How many people are affected by intellectual disability?
The Arc reviewed a number of prevalence studies in the early 1980s and concluded that 2.5 to 3 percent of the general population have intellectual disability (The Arc, 1982).
Based on the 1990 census, an estimated 6.2 to 7.5 million people have intellectual disability. Intellectual disability is 10 times more common than cerebral palsy and 28 times more prevalent than neural tube defects such as spina bifida. It affects 25 times as many people as blindness (Batshaw, 1997).
Intellectual disability cuts across the lines of racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic backgrounds. It can occur in any family. One out of ten American families is directly affected by intellectual disability.
How does intellectual disability affect individuals?
Jim Staley, pictured with his mother Karen, he’s a symbol of victory for people with special needs. Jim lives in Oregon and was placed on a state waiting list for housing, eagerly awaiting the day, when he'd realize his dream of moving out on his own.
But Jim had to wait a long time for that dream to come true. He stayed on the waiting list for more than 15 years. His family took legal action in order to ensure that all people with disabilities in Oregon have access to services and supports in a reasonable period of time. The courts agreed with Jim and his family, and two years ago, Jim moved into his own apartment.
Jim likes entertaining friends and family at his apartment, but he most enjoys the two evenings a week he is at the local karaoke bar singing with friends. Once in a while, he will even agree to go to his parents' house for dinner, though he's always eager to get back home. (see Treatment)
How is intellectual disability diagnosed?
The AAMR process for diagnosing and classifying a person as having intellectual disability contains three steps and describes the system of supports a person needs to overcome limits in adaptive skills.
The first step:
in diagnosis is to have a qualified person give one or more standardized intelligence tests and a standardized adaptive skills test, on an individual basis.
The second step:
is to describe the person's strengths and weaknesses across four dimensions. The four dimensions are:
1. Intellectual and adaptive behaviour skills
2. Psychological - emotional considerations
3. Physical – health - etiological considerations
4. Environmental considerations
Strengths and weaknesses may be determined by formal testing, observations, interviewing key people in the individual's life, interviewing the individual, interacting with the person in his or her daily life or a combination of these approaches.
Summarising:
IQ is nothing else than a number diagnosing and classified by a qualified person.
According to Gardner is everyone smart.
Laurien (7) is good at handling animals. Lieze (9) is great in sports and Noeska (7) is the best in comforting her little brother. Jacob (34) doesn't have good grades at school but he knows all about mechanics. Every one is smart. It just depends on the way you are looking at it. Scientists have a broader opinion on intelligence than just the measuring of your IQ.
Howard Gardner sees eight intelligences in one person.
in a particular form van intelligent, depended on three factors:
Talent, practice and environment.
Intelligences develops by the interaction between a person and his environment
Gardner give us more than a number, he says: don’t look at a person’s limitations but rather at his possibilities, seek there the increase and development of people. Especial for those which are intellectual disabled
Gardner gives us hope and a way to work in a positive way with intellectual disabled people
Judo and ID:
A intellectual disability is not specific; it concerns a diverse group of people with widely different disabilitys, as well as varied opportunities. Besides that a intellectual disability is not always visible. People with a intellectual disability often need more and extra support because of their learning and adaptation problems.
Judokas with a intellectual disability received more or less an Olympic status in 2007, via the World Summer Games in Shanghai organized by Special Olympics. The intellectual disabilitys of these judokas are often expressed in complex judo forms as kansetsu-, shime- and sutemi-waza where insight in the consequences of the techniques is absolutely essential. The complex techniques are not comprehendible however, when the individual level of performance is taken into account and a correct evaluation of the physical possibilities are made, is it possible for almost every intellectually disabled judoka to learn a simple but adequate technique repertoire.
The JBN does not find it necessary to examine intellectual restricted judokas when they perform on recreational level. The note that the judoka has high difficulties in learning and needs supervision in living and working is enough.
On top level, however a National accreditation trough NebasNsg and international trough Inas-Fid is necessary to compeet.
Furthermore, it was found that people with a intellectual disability are extremely faithful to their sport; for example Dik Koene, who is active in judo for more than 30 years, even though his relatively high age of 59, he still trains 3 times a week. Dik is a unique person, but no exception within the Judo for the disabled.
Tips for teaching intellectual disabled judokas:
1 - This target group is by far the biggest group within the Judo for the
disabled, therefore the teacher is been involved by this peergroup
most often.
2 - Generalization should be prevented, since a huge diversity exists
between people with a intellectual disability.
3 - The techniques most be basic, but can be executed adequately.
Kansetsu-, shime- and sutemi-waza are mostly not included in the
lessons.
4 - Problems with memory or concentration can appear with people with
a intellectual disability, therefore these people could be more depen-
dent on their partner.
5 - Technique indication should be addressed in native language, briefly
and to the point.
BvdE
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