Christine Le ClaireJulie Amoroso

Until Rosa’s Law was signed by President

Obama in October 2010, IDEA (Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act) used the term “mental retardation” instead of “intellectual disability.”

Intellectual disability is defined as “significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing

concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that

adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” 

Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning

(reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age

of 18.

The IQ Test is a major tool in measuring intellectual

functioning, which is the mental capacity

for learning, reasoning, and

problem solving. A test score of about 70- to a high of 75-

indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.

Use simple, short, uncomplicated sentences to ensure maximum understanding

Repeat instructions and directions frequently

Keep distractions and transitions to a minimum

Reinforce positive behavior

Help the student to develop appropriate social skills to support friend and peer relationships

Provide encouraging, supportive learning environments that will capitalize on student success and self esteem

Use appropriate program interventions in all areas where necessary to maximize success

Use alternative instructional strategies and alternative assessment methods

Teach one concept or activity component at a time

Assist with coping strategies

Ensure that your routines and rules are consistent. Keep

conversations as normal as possible to maximize inclusion with peers

Teach one step at a time to help support memorization and

sequencing

Teach students in small groups, or one-on-one if possible

Always provide multiple opportunities to practice skills in a

number of different settings

Use physical and verbal prompting to guide correct responses, and provide specific verbal praise to

reinforce these responses

Functional sight-word instruction using time delay:

• Sight word instruction is defined as a whole word approach through which students learn to automatically recognize

important, high frequency words without decoding.

Also referred to as functional reading, we teach certain sight words with the intent that the student will be able to use the

skills to function as independently as possible in their environment and in the community.

Sight word instruction does not give the students strategies to identify words that are not in their sight word vocabulary therefore they are limited to only the words that they have

been taught.

Time delay is a method of systematic instruction used for discrete skills such as learning sight words, stamping a name, pointing to a

picture to answer a comprehension question or number recognition.

Comprehension

Fluency

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