QUESTION: Classification of children with intellectual disabilities.

Classification on the basis of IQ

Classification on the degree of mental retardation

Classification on the basis of educability

Learners with intellectual disabilities have challenges characterised by significant limitations in
mental functioning and adaptive behaviors which covers many everyday social, academic,
developmental and practical skills. Intellectual disabilities are classified into four categories
namely mild, moderate, severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Also learners with
intellectual disabilities need to be educated according to severity of the intellectual disability.
This presentation aims to give detailed analytic view on the classification on the degree of
retardation, classification on the basis of educability, classification on basis of IQ and common
clinical of intellectual disability. Term to be defined is intellectual disability.

According to Bowman (1986) intellectual disability refers to significant limitations in both

intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior which covers persons with intellectual
challenges. Intellectual disability refers to a problem with general mental abilities that affect
functioning in two areas intellectual functioning such as learning, problem solving, judgement
and adaptive functioning (http://www.psychiatry.org). Therefore, one can define intellectual
disability as significant limitation in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors which
covers many everyday social and practical skills.

Intellectual disabilities can be classified into four classes namely mild, moderate, severe and
profound. Each degree have intelligent quotient. According to Peters (2003) intelligence quotient
is a total score derived from a set of standardized or subsets designed to assess human
intelligence. The IQ of the degrees of intellectual challenges are as follows mild intellectual
disability ranges from 50-70, moderate intellectual disability is from 35 to 50, severe intellectual
disability is from 20 to 25 and profound is less than 20. Mild intellectual disability have some
symptoms like taking longer to talk, social immature and having problems with reading and
writing(academic skills), learners with moderate intellectual disability exhibit symptoms like
slow in understanding and using language, have difficulties with communication and unable to
live alone. Learners with severe intellectual disabilities have the following symptoms noticeable
motor impairment and severe damage to, or abnormal development of their central nervous
system and those with profound intellectual disabilities have symptoms like inability to
understand or comply with requests or instructions and inability to care for their own needs
independently.

Furthermore, these degrees of intellectual challenges can be educable according to the severity
and the needs of the learner. Learners with mild intellectual disability are slower in all areas of
conceptual development, social and daily living skills. The teacher must teach learners with mild
intellectual disabilities life skills which allow them to function in ordinary life with minimal
levels of support. Farrel (2010) views that these learners with mild intellectual needs vocational
training education where they have an opportunity to enroll in such vocational courses and
benefit from career guidance services. These skills will help them to fit in the working class and
there are fewer burdens as they will be earning something. Therefore, one can say learners with
mild intellectual disabilities need to be educated on life skills which help them to be independent.
In addition learners with moderate intellectual disabilities need skills like functional literacy and
numeracy. Academic skills (reading and writing) are very important in life. The teacher needs to
teach learners to practice basic addition, subtraction in daily activities using concrete media.
Also daily living skills like cooking, personal grooming, and toilet routines are needed in the life
of learners with intellectual disabilities as they promote acceptance in the society.

Moreover, learners with severe intellectual disability need certain skills in their life styles. Sattler
(2002) asserts that severe intellectual disabilities manifest as major delays in development, and
individuals have the ability to understand speech but otherwise have limited communication
skills. So as a teacher you need to teach you need to teach a child with severe intellectual
disability basic communication like greeting and making requests. These learners also need to be
taught self care activities for them to be acceptable by peers. In addition learners with profound
intellectual disabilities often have congenital syndromes (Sattler, 2002). These individuals cannot
live independently and they require close supervision and help with self care activities. They
have very limited ability to communicate and often have physical limitation.
The forgoing presentation has managed to classify the degree of intellectual disabilities which
are mild, moderate, severe and profound. Mild intellectual has intelligent quotient which ranges
from 50 to 70, moderate intelligent quotient ranges from 35 to 50, severe intellectual disability’s
intelligent ranges from 20 to 25 and also profound intellectual disability’s quotient intelligent is
less than 20. Learners with intellectual disabilities also need to be educated on different life skills
according to the severity of the disability. Life skills like self care are very crucial to learners
with intellectual disabilities because they promote independence.

REFERENCES

Bowman, I. (1986) Teacher-training and the intergration of handicapped pupils. Some findings
from a fourteen nation UNESCO study. European journal of Special Needs Education, (1) 29-39

Farrel, M. (2010) Debating Special Education Needs. A guide for inclusive practice. London:
Sage.

Peters, P. (2003) Academic progress of students across inclusive and traditional settings. Mental
Retardation, 42(2), 136-144

Scatter, G. (2002) Impact of inclusive education achievement student behavior and self esteem
and parental attitudes. Journal Education Research, 9 (2) 67-80

http://www.psychiatry.org