Problems in Intellectual Disabilities

Problems in Learning Disabilities

Problems in Learning Disabilities

The World Health Organization stated in 1994 that 156 million ,or 3 of the world 's population , have an intellectual disability . In the United States , 1 in 10 families are directly affected by intellectual disabilities , with approximately 7 .5 million , or 3 of it 's population having one . These disabilities cut across all boundaries , without regard to gender , race , class , or socioeconomic status ( Intellectual Disabilities ' Villanova ,

. 1 . With so much of the population affected , there is cause for concern . Yet many people

are not even aware of the term intellectual disability ' nor of the problems it causes What precisely is an intellectual disability , how does it manifest itself , and what are the difficulties associated with having one

The term is synonymous with mental retardation , yet is a more contemporary reference to the impairment , with most special education professionals now using it . Individuals with intellectual disability have trouble with thinking skills , including reasoning ability and memory . They experience difficulty with attention and organizing information and have trouble seeing how things relate to one another For instance , they may understand what forks , knives , and spoons are but not understand that they belong to the bigger classification of cutlery ( Facts on Learning Disabilities ,

.1

According to the new definition provided by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR ,

.1 , a person is thought to have an ID based on the following criteria (1 . Intellectual functioning IQ is below 70-75 (2 . Significant limitations occur in two or more adaptive skill areas (3 . The condition occurs before the age of 18 . Any person with these impairments needs adaptive skills to work and play in the community

The AAMR 's new definition encompasses ten adaptive skills

Self-care

Communication

Home living

Leisure

Social skills

Health-safety

Self-direction

Functional academics

Community use and work

Although children with ID have limitations , it is vital to recognize that they develop into adults with ID . They do not eternally remain children (AAMR ,p .1

Intellectual disabilities have been around from time immemorial they aren 't some recent occurrence . These historic references reveal that the plight of ID has been , and still is , dependent on the culture As far back as 1552 B .C . Thebes , there was reference to therapeutic s . In ancient Sparta newborns were examined by the State Council If a child were found to have an impairment , it was eliminated . In 2nd century B .C . Roman persons with ID , including children , were often sold to be used for entertainment or amusement . During the Middle Ages ( 5th to 15th centuries , more humane practices began . There was a decrease in infanticide and the establishment of foundling homes

Although the status and care of people with retardation varied greatly and many were abandoned or sold into slavery (Ainsworth , 51

In the 12th century Henry II of England supported legislation that declared individuals with learning disabilities were wards of the state Locke , in 1690 , proposed that the mind was a tabula rasa , or...