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The Strengths of Students

with Intellectual Disabilities

Chapter 5 - Neurodiversity in the Classroom

Intellectual Disabilities Defined

Consider this:

"It's not how intelligent you are, but how you are intelligent" (p. 112)

Strength Awareness

Examples:

  • Down's Syndrome: sense of humor, artistic, upbeat, happy, call it "Up" syndrome, visual motor skills, spatial short term memory
  • Williams Syndrome: music abilities such as perfect pitch, oral expression, enjoy company of others
  • Fragile X: personal intelligences, excellent memory, great imitation skills
  • Willi-Prader Syndrome: desire to work with children / babies / animals, enjoy reading, solve jigsaw / word search puzzles
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: playing instruments, computers, woodworking, artistic

Positive Role Models with Intellectual Disabilities

Chris Burke - "Life Goes On" actor

Bernadette Resha - painter / artist

Karen Gaffney - swam English Channel

Susan Harrington - MTV host

Sujeet Desai - instrumentalist

Assistive Technologies / Universal Design for Learning

AAC

  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices
  • Refers to all forms of communication other than oral speech to express thoughts, desires or needs

Gone from huge, heavy and expensive TO easy-to-use, portable and affordable

Examples: word processors, iPad, iPad apps, calculator, Dynavox, XBox, and Wii

Enhanced Human Resources

School Needs:

Meaningful peer interactions, including the use of cooperative learning, group discussions, games, mutual reading, extracurricular activities, resident experts on assistive devices

Community Needs:

Engaged and occupational training, job coaching, functional skills-based learning

Strength Based

Learning Strategies

These students learn best from instruction that is vivid, hands-on and down-to-earth (could apply to all learners)

Instructional Strategies: teach through games (ex. vocabulary bingo), link lessons to personal life (ex. books with high frequency words with their interests), self-paced learning materials (ex. there's probably an app for that), teach dramatically or through song, teach same concept in many different contexts to generalize, integrate music

Affirmative Career Aspirations

Help students envision positive career pathways is critical in preparing them in successful and fulfilling lives.

Old thinking = only capable of work that involved the 4 F's (Flowers, Food, Folding, Filth)

New thinking = library assistant, mail clerk, store clerk, messenger, cashier, furniture refinisher, clerical aide, musician, artist, cook, animal caretaker, printer, automobile detail worker

How do we apply "Positive Niche Construction" to

the Common Core State Standards?

  • Find their strengths
  • Use assistive technology / universal design for learning
  • Enhance human resources
  • Strength-based learning strategies
  • Affirmative career aspirations
  • Environment modification
  • Assess the standard

Let's honor and celebrate their different ways of learning and thinking!

  • Instead of looking at the individual's IQ, it is important to look at their personal strengths.
  • Many capabilities - often: music, images, nature
  • IQ Score 70 or below
  • Impairments in daily functioning, communication, self-care and social interactions
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