Child Development and Intellectual Disability

Characteristics of Children with Intellectual Disability

• Ability to make relative comparisons is limited
• Imitation skills are delayed or need specific instruction and practice
• Speech articulation errors, voice disorders, and stuttering are common problems
• Academic performance is poor, with repeated failure and frustration leading to falling behind
• Social and emotional behaviors are immature, antisocial, and odd, leading to social isolation
• Physical and motor development is normal, with no significant impairments

Factors Contributing to Intellectual Disability

• Environmental influences (psychological deprivation, sensory deprivation, neglect, malnutrition, and complications of severe mental disorders)
• Lack of reinforcement for desired behaviors or punishment for specific behaviors
• Reinforcement of dysfunctional behavior patterns

Developmental Characteristics

• Slow rate of learning and delays in cognitive, motor, social development, self-help skills, language use, and academic readiness skills
• Delays of 1 to 3 years in various curriculum domains
• Short attention span and deficits in memory, especially short-term memory processes
• Difficulty in applying information in new situations and discriminating between materials
• Poor social skills, poor response to social cues, and poor language skills
• Poor emotional development, leading to avoidance of school work, chronic complaints, and aggression
• Delayed academic development, including reading, math, and information recall

Identification

• Children with severe and profound Intellectual Disability are identified before school age
• Delayed development becomes obvious in students with mild Intellectual Disability when they start formal schooling