Help For Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

By Jerry Murphy


Developmental or Intellectual disability was until recently known as mental retardation but this term is slowly becoming obsolete. It is a condition that is characterized by maladaptive behaviors and cognitive impairment. Affected persons have difficulties in learning new tasks and tend to fall short of the expectations of their social environment. There are a number of things relating to individuals with intellectual disabilities in Portsmouth, VA that we need to know so that we can help them better.

The cause of most of the cases of developmental abnormalities remains unknown. However, it is believed that genetics, social influence and the environment play a major role. Many of those affected are considered to have the mild form of the condition. They have an IQ score of between 50 and 70. As they grow up, the children will exhibit some deficiencies in cognitive skills and social behaviors in the classroom but tend to be fairly normal outside the classroom.

Children considered to have intellectual disability should not be mixed with typically functioning peers. There is a cognitive gap between the two groups and the child who has disability would always have to play catch-up if they were to be taught together. Due to the limitations that exist among these children, teachers need to adopt methods that will help affected students get life skills at the very least. The emphasis should be on self-care and hygiene, vocational training, money concepts, time concepts, and leisure activities among others.

Persons who have special needs have to be accommodated to make it possible for them to enjoy similar employment opportunities as everyone else. The degree of accommodation required varies depending on the extent of disability. Some of the accommodations that may be required include providing assistants to help with reading and interpretation of materials, direct demonstration of job techniques, replacing written tests with oral interviews and so on.

In adulthood, they lead near normal lives and usually live independently. Statistics show that a majority of adults with this disability are either unemployed or underemployed. Advocacy groups have made efforts to ensure that as many of them as possible get involved in community work.

Employers should not divulge the medical information of employees with special needs unless under special circumstances. These include, for example, when there is a need to initiate emergency treatment and such information is deemed necessary. It may also be required by insurance companies when one is making a claim.

Asking questions related during interviews is discriminatory. However, employers can ask about the qualifications that the candidate has. The employee can disclose the information voluntarily if they believe that it will be helpful in the process. The employee has to explain how they intend to carry out their duties with or without accommodation. The employer and the employee should work together to determine the kind of accommodation that will needed.

Employers need to be actively involved in preventing harassment. There are many strategies that can be used to achieve this. One of them is to have a written policy that describes how other employees should work with them and spells out the consequences of harassment. Other methods that can be used include organizing regular meetings to discuss the issues, periodic training of managers and the preparation of handbooks.




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