Intellectual Disabilities/Mental Retardation: Typical Characteristics

Individuals with mild intellectual disabilities (formerly referred to as "educable"):

• are likely to need only intermittent to limited support;
• typically do not "look" different from their non-disabled peers;
• often have only mild or moderate developmental delays, except in academics, which is often the major area of deficit;
• therefore, they are often not identified until they enter the school setting, where their cognitive disability is most apparent;
• in Minnesota, students with mild MR spend most of the school day in the regular classroom;
• they typically attain 3rd- to 6th-grade academic achievement levels by the time they finish high school;
• as adults, many, though not all, with mild MR will be able to obtain independent employment;
• many will marry, have children, and blend rather indistinguishably into the community; for those who achieve total independence, the label of mental retardation is no longer appropriate.

• will probably need limited to extensive supports;
• they are more likely to have a recognizable syndrome (such as Down Syndrome);
• therefore, may "look" different than their non-disabled peers;.
• their development is often significantly delayed;
• they are typically identified as infants or toddlers;.
• most begin receiving special education during the preschool years;
• they may be included in the regular classroom part of the school day (particularly here in Minnesota);
• but often spend much of the school day in a separate classroom where they learn adaptive living skills;
• as adults, most individuals with moderate to severe MR will not achieve total independence;
• rather, they are likely to continue to need limited to extensive support such as that provided in group homes or semi-independent living situations (SILs); some may continue to live with their parents;
• some individuals with moderate to severe MR may be able to succeed in modified competitive employment situations;
• however, many will work in supported, non-competitive settings such as sheltered workshops.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities mental retardation:

• will generally need services at the pervasive level, typically throughout their life;
• they are likely to have multiple disabilities, particularly in the areas of mobility and communication;.
• therefore, many use wheelchairs and alternate forms of communication;
• their communication deficits make it difficult to accurately assess their intellectual functioning;
• in educational settings, they may be placed along with students with moderate to severe MR or in their own classroom;
• some adults with this level of retardation remain in institutional settings, but most currently live in group homes.