Mild Intellectual Disability

The first stages of intellectual disability typically occur during the child’s development process. Delays in gross and fine motor functioning are some of the easiest signs to pick up on early into the child’s life. This would include: rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking late as well as mastering life skills such as potty training, dressing, and feeding him or herself.  Language abilities, and social milestones may also be noticeable within the first two to three years of the child’s life. MID may not be noticeable until the child is school-age and learning under a structured environment and challenges occur.

For a short video on the summary of MID, watch:

There are some genetic diseases associated with intellectual disability. Some examples include PKU (phenylketonuria), a single gene disorder. Without treatment, phenylalanine builds up in the blood and causes intellectual disability. A child who has been diagnosed with MID can also be a side affect of the mothers use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. Problems in the birth process such as oxygen deprivation or birth injuries may cause intellectual disability as well. Childhood diseases such as whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, and other diseases that may lead to meningitis and encephalitis can damage the brain, as can injuries such as a blow to the head or near drowning. Children growing up in poverty are at higher risk for malnutrition, childhood diseases, exposure to environmental health hazards and often receive not enough health care which could lead to a child with a mild intellectual disability.

Unlike some other disabilities, Mild Intellectual Disability is not visible physically in most cases. Socially, the child will need assistance when it comes to mastering the social aspect of their life. They are taught in a kinesthetic manner which means that the individuals learn by doing. They are also taught behavior management skills to help them keep impulses under control in a variety of social situations. When it comes to understanding expectations, a child with MID may not know when to listen or how to respond is some cases.

Sometimes a child with MID may not have noticeable behavior/emotional issues. The environment directly impacts the child and how they react and respond. If the child is not being shown patience and understanding while trying to learn new concepts, the child can become quickly frustrated. If a child with Mild Intellectual Disability is provided with services right away, some may not experience weak vocabulary and delays in speech by the time they enter the school system. Because children with an intellectual disability have concrete brains and weak vocabulary, they do not understand sarcastic humor, or in some cases, fun humor at all.  About 85% of people with intellectual disabilities fall into the mild category. They develop reading and math skills from grade level of around 3 to 6th grade. Often times professionals may refer to a child with Mild Intellectual Disability as a “Cognitive deficit”. Cognitive deficit is a specific term meaning your brain is behind others in the developmental process due to damage or other reasons.

Early intervention plans are a series of services that are offered to families with a young child who has or believed to have a disability. The services that are offered includes: Assistive technology, audiology or hearing services, speech and language services, counseling and training for a family, medical services, nursing services, nutrition services, occupation therapy, physical therapy, and psychological services. The Individual Education Plan is a plan or program developed specifically or a child who has a disability that is recognized under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution.

For information on MID in the classroom and how to best support students with MID, visit:http://www.educationcorner.com/mild-intellectual-disability.html

For a video to give you a summary of MID, watch: