MENTAL RETARDATION

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MENTAL RETARDATION

• FRIEND CH 8,
• SPED 281
• Dr. Schneider

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Definition of Mental Retardation (MR),
  Intellectual Disabilities
• Historic development of the field
• Characteristics of MR
• Identification procedure of MR
• Types of services for students w/ MR
• Best Teaching strategies for students w/ MR
• Perspectives of family members
• Issues affecting the field of MR

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Definition of Mental Retardation (MR)

• In Europe and other parts of the world, MR is
  referred to as intellectual disabilities
• Definition in US provided by American Association
  on Mental Retardation (AAMR) in 1982
• Significant sub-average intellectual functioning
• Co-occurring w/ deficits in adaptive behavior
• Manifested during developm. Period and still
  present at age 18
• Which adversely affects educational performance
• Adaptive behavior day-to -day skills to be able
  to live and function independently (e.g.,
  hygiene, nutrition)
• vague terminology

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Definition of Mental Retardation (MR)

• Definition in US provided by American Association
  on Mental Retardation (AAMR) in 1992
• 5 ASSUMPTIONS
• 1. Limitations in functioning are to be
  considered within the context of the
• individuals life compared to his/her peers
  culture.
• 2. Valid assessment respects cultural
  linguistic diversity differences in
• communication, sensory, motor behavioral
  factors.
• 3. Note that limitations strengths coexist
  within an individual with MR.
• 4. Limitations must be described in detail to be
  able to develop an appropriate profile of needed
  support.
• 5. Appropriate personalized support over
  sustained period improves life
• functioning of individual w/ MR.
• definition adopted only by few states
• most states have classification system (e.g.,
  mild, moderate, severe, profound)

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Historic development of MR field

• mid 19th century Dr. Down identified MR as
  Down syndrome paired w/ optimism that MR was
  curable
• SHIFT CAUSED BY belief system
• 1920s lowest point in education of individuals
  w/ MR paired w/ pessimism (MR criminal)
• gt separation from community
• Across the world, Indiv. w/ MR were euthanized
  b/c of no proper genes
• Late 1970s
• no books in classrooms b/c of belief students w/
  MR could not learn to read
• Indiv. w/ MR lived either at home w/ parents or
  in residential facilities secluded from
  communities

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Historic development of MR field

• Today
• they can approach
• Instruction must align with state standards of
  regular curricula (NCLB)
• Students must undergo statewide tests and
  teachers are held accountable for their students
  success even when they are diagnosed with MR
  (NCLB)
• Mission of AAMR Promote
• progressive policies
• Sound research
• Effective practices
• Universal human rights for indiv. w/ intellectual
  disabilities
• First of all full integration in society

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Todays prevalence of MR

• prevalence dropped between 1970s and 80s but has
  been stable since
• Better differentiation among disabilities - e.g.,
  autism w/ tests
• Better-educated professionals
• Trend to avoid MR label
• approximately 7.2 mill. Americans identified as
  having cognitive and related developmental
  disabilities
• Between 2.5- 3 of US population has MR
  (estimated) gt school-age children with MR are
  under-identified

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Todays prevalence of MR

• During 2000-01 school year,
• 0.92 ( 611,878) of all who received SPED
  services as MR ages 6-21
• 0.04 as developmentally delayed ages
  3-9,includes some w/ MR
• GENDER Boys vs. girls 11.51 ratio
• Race, poverty issues classification
• 1980-mid1990s AfAM 2-3times more likely to be
  identified w/ mental retardation
• African Americans w/ MR disproportionately high
  as of 2002 18.9 of all MR school population
  African American
• Hispanics 8.6 Native Americans 8.5 (of 1 of
  all students in public ED)
• OVERALL REASONS biased tests, poverty (prenatal,
  para-natal post natal issues)lack of academic
  nurturing

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Causes- Characteristics of MR

• Mostly, causes cannot be determined, especially
  in case of mild retardation gt cultural familial
  retardation
• More serious retardation Prenatal causes
  Genetic
• Down syndrome (extra chromosome present in 21
  chromosome pair) Trisomy 21 age-factor above 45
  128 female male
• Fragile X syndrome or Martin Bell syndrome,
• female- less and less severe male- more more
  severe
• Most common MR due to mutation on one of the X
  chromosomes
• Characteristics similar to ADHD, hypersenitive to
  sounds, touch of fabric tendency to repeat,
  resistant to change of routines, poor social
  skills

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Causes- Characteristics of MR

• Prenatal causes Genetic cont.
• Prader Willi syndrome caused by mutation(s) on
  chromosome 15 problems occur as indiv. Reaches
  school-age (stubborn, resistent to change,
  insatiable appetite gt compulsive eating since
  age 2-4 gt overweight)
• 1 in 14,000 (less than DS, Fragile X)
• Fatal Alcohol syndrome caused when mother drinks
  alcohol during pregnancy lesser form fetal
  alcohol effects
• Body smaller, slower development, , small eyes
  w/drooping eyelid lower part of face seems flat
  very short attention, LD, hyperactivity, poor
  coordination milder MR- if
• Phenylketonuria (PKU) inherited metabolic
  disorder that can lead to MR if untreated male-
  female equally can only eat foods low in
  phenylalanine gt no high protein foods

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Causes- Characteristics of MR

• During birth - perinatal
• Lack of oxygen or birth injury during labor
• Premature babies weighing less than 3.3 pounds
  have a 10-205 risk of MR
• After birth
• Encephalitis
• Viral infection that causes inflammation of the
  brain gt can result in MR
• Lead poisoning
• Half a million children ages 1-5 have raised
  levels of lead in their blood which can lead to
  LD, ADHD, EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL DIS. MR
• Brain injury due to accident, child abuse, severe
  malnutrition

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General Characteristics of MR

• COGNITIVE ACADEMIC
• MILD IQ 55-69
• MODERATE IQ 40-45
• SEVERE IQ 25-39
• PROFOUND IQ below 25
• SUPPORT CONTINUUM
• Intermittent as needed periodically e.g. for a
  transition into a job, from hospital
• Limited to a time period (employment training)
• Extensive daily in at least home or school or
  work environment, long-term
• Persuasive high intensity across environments
  (school-home), several staff members of
  potentially life-sustaining nature

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General Characteristics of MR

• COGNITIVE ACADEMIC
• Generalization across areas too abstract- must
  be made concrete in each one anew
• Memory they can be in the moment but recall is a
  problem technology can help
• Metacognition think about thinking,
  problem-solving not to be expected
• Motivation more extrinsic than intrinsic except
  for biologically driven impulses
• Language delays difficulty with abstract terms
  teachers must make those as concrete as possible
  (e.g. under-over democracy)
• Academic skills challenge is the key! High
  expectations can lead to positive surprises!
  Skilled teaching and assessment needed

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General Characteristics of MR

• ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR
• Communication
• Self-care
• Social skills
• Home living
• Leisure
• Health safety
• Self-direction
• Functional academics
• Community integration use
• Work (ethics)

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General Characteristics of MR

• SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
• Difficult to pick up social cues
• Often immature behavior
• BUT Society provides them with rejection, few
  friends in-outside of school (National BEST
  BUDDIES PROGRAM)
• EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
• More lonely, depressed than non-disabled peers
• Less poor emotional states when actively
  integrated in community
• PHYSICAL-MEDICAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Less physically fit than other students
• Medical attention depends on the cause of MR
  (e.g., PKT)

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Identification procedure of MR
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Types of services for students w/ MR
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Types of services for students w/ MR
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Education Practices

• EARLY CHILDHOOD
• Begins first few months after birth, at home
• Caregivers parents learn from early childhood
  professionals, PTs, speech-language pathol.
  doctors if necess. How to best foster early
  growth and learning

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Educational Practices it takes a village

• ELEMENTAR-SECONDARY
• Today still 51 outside reg. ed (60 or more of
  day) and 29 between at least 21 outside reg. ed
• Education covered under IDEA 2004
• Integration in reg.ed. depends on indiv.
  Functioning
• School-wide behavior plans
• alternative activities often needed
• Also life-skills curriculum needed -gt adaptive
  behavior
• Applied academic skills (read, math)
• Community-based learning

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Educational Practices it takes a village

• TRANSITION INTO ADULTHOOD
• Self-determination right to make plans, express
  wishes gt participate in IEP meetings

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Best Teaching strategies for students w/ MR
AT ALL LEVELS Professionals must analyze Student
progress Analyze which parts in a task a student
struggles with or not ( task analysis) Implement
appropriate instruction practice Peer
mediation- tutoring
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Parent perspectives

• Accept challenges that come with disability
• Love and value children for their personality
• Concerns
• what happens after parents are not around
  anymore?
• High stakes testing
• Fostering self-determination
• However
• First common reactions blame, denial,
• Often grandparents step in as emotional support
• Religious beliefs often helped overcome those
  initial barriers professionals explanations
  assistance in learning how to best respond to new
  family challenge