Tuesday 5 January 2016

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.

A majority of the cases of developmental abnormalities have no known cause. Existing theories implicate genetic, social and environmental influence. The good news is that most of them are classified as mild. This category includes persons that have an IQ of between 50 and 70. Children in this category typically show deficiencies in cognitive skill development and social behaviors in the classroom setting but cope quite well outside the classroom.

Children who have special needs should not be taught alongside those that are considered to be typically functioning. While they may learn most of the skills that are required, they tend to take a lot longer and will therefore appear to lag behind. Teachers need to adopt teaching methods that impart skills and knowledge in a more practical manner. The emphasis should be on teaching issues such as time concepts, money concepts, self-care and hygiene and vocational training.

Accommodation is necessary to make it possible for the persons who have special needs to enjoy the employment opportunities that are available to everyone else. Accommodation is simply the act of making it easier for these persons to carry out specific duties in the work place. They extent of help required varies depending on the severity of the condition. Examples include providing reading and material interpretation assistance, demonstrating required techniques and making interviews more practically rather than theoretical.

As they grow into adults, persons with intellectual disability lead independent lives in most cases. Unfortunately, however, many of them remain unemployed or are underemployed in spite of their willingness to take up jobs. There have been sustained efforts by concerned agencies and advocacy groups to make it easier for these people to get fair treatment in the workplace and to increase the opportunities available to them.

The employer is required by law to keep the medical information of the employee confidential. Such information can only be disclosed in select cases. This would include, for example, when there is a need to make special accommodation arrangements, in case of an emergency that requires medical attention and in the case of claim settlement by insurers.

In the interview, it is considered discriminatory to ask applicants about whether or not they have intellectual disability. If the prospective employee discloses this information on their own volition, both the employer and the employee should work together to come up with accommodative strategies that will facilitate the duties to be carried out.

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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