“Many children have difficulty in learning, difficulty in remembering, difficulty in writing, have short attention span…the question is do they have intellectual disability? Or they have only have difficulty in learning? How can we really identify children with intellectual disability?

            Intellectual disability (ID), once called mental retardation, is characterized by below-average intelligence or mental ability and a lack of skills necessary for day-to-day living. People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn them more slowly. There are varying degrees of intellectual disability, from mild to profound.

            There are many different signs of intellectual disability in children. Signs may appear during babyhood, or they may not be noticeable until a child reaches school age. It often depends on the severity of the disability. Some of the most common signs of intellectual disability are:

•  Delay in rolling over, sitting up ,crawling and walking
•  Have problem in talking
•  Slow to master things like potty training, dressing, and feeding himself or herself
•  Difficulty in understanding and following directions
•  Poor memory
•  Short attention span
•  Limited conceptual ability
•  Has poor gross motor coordination as in jumping,skipping.hopping
•  Finds difficulty in doing fine motor activities
•  Can hardly finish work that has been started
•  Repeats activities over and over again

             In children with severe or profound intellectual disability, there may be other health problems as well. These problems may include seizures, mental disorders, motor handicaps, vision problems, or hearing problems.

      

 

 

 

 

By: Elvira C. Calma | Teacher II | Limay Elementary School