Diversity in the Classroom: Learners with High-Incidence Disabilities
High-incidence disabilities
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US Dept of Education – 7, 134,00 receiving IEP or 504 plan, 63% have high-incidence disabilities
Includes: intellectual disabilities, speech or language impairment, learning disabilities, and
emotional disturbance
ADHD not mentioned in the legislation
Learners with Intellectual Disabilities
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Acceptable definition
IDEA and AAIDD definitions are the most common
The constructs of intelligence and adaptive behaviors play key roles in our understanding of
intellectual disability
Table 4.2 Classification of Intellectual Disability According to Measured Intelligence
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IQ is snapshot in time and needs other information to round it out like cognitive abilities,
summative and formative assessments, and other factors
Mean score is 100 of an IQ on a bell curve
Categories/Classification Level: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Profound
Table 4.3 Classification of Intellectual Disability According to Intensity of Support
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Support Level: intermittent, limited, extensive, pervasive
Description
Example
How Many Learners Exhibit Intellectual Disabilties
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431,000 children between 6-21 years old were identified as having intellectual disabilities
Causes of Intellectual Disabilties
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Prenatal (occuring before birth)
o Down’s Syndrome, PKU
Perinatal (around the time of birth)
o Low birth weight
o
Postnatal (occur after birth)