Learning strategies for Intellectual Disabilities

"Building literacy skills can be a meaningful experience for any adult, but doing so can be even more significant for adults with intellectual disabilities. With improved reading ability comes higher expectations, improved self-esteem and more opportunities including employment possibilities. In many cases, community living becomes easier and more successful, and literacy allows adults with intellectual disabilities to become active citizens and more effective self-advocates."³²

Adult literacy learners with intellectual disabilities may be challenged by lack of retention, slow learning pace, short attention span, and generally poorer language skills than other learners attending literacy programs.³³ To assist these learners in achieving their goals, it is important to keep the information that is presented to them very concrete in nature so that they can relate it to their own experiences. Many individuals with intellectual disabilities are very self-aware and have particular goals in mind that might not be what would be considered a regular learning goal. It is essential that we support these learners because their goals towards entertainment or recreation are ones that are extremely important to them. It is very important that we help enhance the learners' lives in areas they want. When working with individuals with intellectual disabilities, the information provided during instruction must meet their needs and be something that they want to do.

From an article on the Keys to Success: Literacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Rehabilitation Review, it is recommended when communicating with a person with an intellectual disability to:

• Make sure that you have the person's attention.
• Speak directly to the person (even when a support person is present).
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Use plain language.
• Take time in asking a question and waiting for an answer.
• Keep instructions simple and allow ample time for the person to comply.