Characteristics of Students with MIDs


Mild Intellectual Disabilities Characteristics
Characteristics of students with mild intellectual disability can be as followed:
Students with mild intellectual disability have the capability to function in an everyday social setting. Hutchinson and Martin say that students with MID tend to be able to function if they have the right environment to do so. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities defines the student’s ability as being able to function when provided with the ability to reason, plan, think abstractly and learn from experience (Hutchinson & Martin, 2012, p.76).  Further, a student who is able to function in modern society has the ability to do so in a classroom setting. But socially, students with MID tend to behave differently than other students. According to Nieuwenhuijzen et al students with MID tend to show more behavioural problems than normal students (Nieuwenhuijzen et al, 2005, p. 420). In order to aid the students with such problems one must be encouraged to participate in the classroom. According to Diana Santapaga, in order for students to be successful in our society they need to be encouraged to participate in the classroom (Santapaga, 2006, p. 8). This would help them in terms of being able to function as a full member of society. Yet, the characteristics of students with MID in the classroom are different. 
Students have academic characteristics that, without inclusion, students are not able to pay attention properly. Academic characteristics for students with MID tend to be determined through the student’s IQ. A student who has MID usually has difficulty getting the academic knowledge that his or her peers are getting. The student, according to the Ontario Curriculum planner, usually gets distracted easily along with a short attention span, are a few levels below the normal reading and mathematics levels of his or her peers and there are delays in speech and/ or language development; sometimes it can be one or both (OCP, 69)  

References 

Hutchinson, N. L., & Martin, A. K. (2012). Inclusive Classroom in Ontario Schools (pp. 76-80). Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc. 

Santapaga, D. (2006). Inclusion and Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities in the Secondary School Setting: A Review of the Literature Doctoral dissertation, York University, Toronto. 

Van Nieuwenhuijzen, M., Bijman, E. R., Lamberix, I. W., Wijnroks, L., Orobio de Castro, B., Vermeer, A., & Matthys, W. (2005, June). Do Children do What they Say? Responses to Hypothetical and Real- Life Social Problems in Children with Mild Intellectual Disabiities and Behavioural Problems. Journal of Intellectual Disabilitiy Research, 46(6), 419-433. 

Ministry of Education. (2002). Special Education Companion. In The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from <http://www.ocup.org/resurces/documents/companions/speced2002.pdf>

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