Cognitive+Disabilities

= ﻿Behavioral Characteristics and Learning Traits: = **Definition**: This category of disabilities refers to individuals who demonstrate low (at least 2 standard deviations below the mean) cognitive or intellectual functioning (as measured by a formal test of Intellectual Functioining) **as well as** a significant delay in adaptive skills (as measured by a formal measure, or documented informal observations). There can be considerable movement within this category. Educators should NEVER assume that a students identified with an intellectual disability will continue to meet criteria for that diagnosis for the rest of his/her academic career, escpecially for students who receive this diagnosis early in life

There can be classifications within the definition of Intellectual Disabilities (though many support groups do not advocate for such schemes. School Districts commonly use the American Psychological Association's classification of:
 * **Mild**: IQ between 50 and 70
 * **Moderate**: IQ between 35 to 50
 * **Severe**: IQ between 20 to 35
 * **Profound**: IQ below 20

Another system that has been suggested as a more progressive way to discuss the levels of impact within this disability category is to discuss the type of supports the individual might need to be succesful. For example a way to classify these students might be:
 * **School professionals should be guarded in their use of these terms to identify students, while the may be an easy way to articulate intellectual functioning they can be difficult for families to be continually presented with. On a similar note, the term Mental Retardation to describe this population is no longer considered appropriate, the field has instead moved towards the term cognitive or intellectual disability, this is primarily due to the fact that Mental Retardation (especailly its shortened version "retard") has become a slur in popular culture ** **
 * Intermittent Support
 * Limited Support
 * Extensive Support
 * Pervasive Support

** Psychological and Behavioral Characteristics **:
Individuals receiving services for an intellectual disability will often demonstrate difficulties in many of the areas listed below
 * Attention
 * Short-term and Long Term Memory
 * Langauge
 * Self-Regulation
 * Motivation
 * Social Development
 * Metacognition

Academic Profile:
Because individuals with this diagnosis often have an intellectual disability from a variety of causes (Down Dyndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Prader-Willi-Syndrome, Fetal Alchohol Syndrome, low birth weight, Rubella, Traumatic Brain Injury, meningitis, enchephalitis, etc..). It can be difficult to determine a common learning profile as the different casuses of intellectual functioning often dictate different strengths and weaknesses. Some commonalities will include:
 * **Limited academic proficencies**: This can depend on the level of impact of the dissability, with some students accessing content at or near grade level, while others demonstrating difficulties with acquiring the most basic of academic tasks
 * **Communication Difficulties:** So many functioning areas effect communication (cognition, memory, language, etc..) that individuals with cognitive disabilites can often demonstrate a host of communication difficulties.
 * **Problem Solving**: Using cognitive processes to think critically and solve problems may often be an area that is difficult for students with intellectual difficulties to demonstrate proficency in.
 * ** Adaptive Behavior: ** Using adaptive skills to access the