Educational services for students with intellectual disabilities and speech impairments in Duval County

Intellectual Disability and Speech Impairment Resources in Duval County, Florida

Today, the State of Florida is tasked with providing high quality educational services to a broad range of students with differing abilities and disabilities. To determine the current state of their educational programming, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature and Florida Department of Education's Web site concerning intellectual disabilities and speech impairments, including a full description of the disability, possible causes, possible treatments, and the teacher accommodations that are provided. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the provision of educational services to students with intellectual disabilities and speech impairments is provided in the conclusion.

Review and Analysis

Intellectual Disability

Full description of the disability. The definition provided by the State of Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) states that this condition "is defined as significantly below average general intellectual and adaptive functioning manifested during the developmental period, with significant delays in academic skills. Developmental period refers to birth to eighteen (18) years of age" (Intellectual disabilities, 2013, para. 1).

Possible causes. There may be biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors involved in students with intellectual disabilities, making this a complex condition with potentially multiple causes (Morin & Cobigo, 2010).

Possible treatment. At present, the interventions that are recommended for intellectual disabilities include education, skill development, environment modification, and cognitive and behavioural therapy which must be tailored to the individual student's abilities and level of functioning (Morin & Cobigo, 2010).

Teacher accommodations. Pursuant to Rule 6A-6.03011, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Exceptional Student Education Eligibility for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, (2) General education interventions and activities, prior to referral for evaluation the requirements in subsection 6A-6.0331(1), F.A.C., must be met.

1.

Evaluation. In addition to the procedures identified in subsection 6A-6.0331(5), F.A.C., the minimum evaluation for determining eligibility shall include all of the following:

(a) A standardized individual test of intellectual functioning individually administered by a professional person qualified in accordance with Rule 6A-4.0311, F.A.C., or licensed under Chapter 490, F.S.;

(b) A standardized assessment of adaptive behavior to include parental or guardian input;

(c) An individually administered standardized test of academic or pre-academic achievement. A standardized developmental scale shall be used when a student's level of functioning cannot be measured by an academic or pre-academic test; and (d) A social-developmental history which has been compiled directly from the parent, guardian, or primary caregiver.

Conclusion

Providing high quality educational services to students in general is a challenging enterprise, but providing these services for students with a broad spectrum of physical and cognitive limitations is truly daunting. Despite the difficulties that are involved, though, the research showed that the State of Florida has formulated a comprehensive approach to evaluating and educating these students using an individualized approach. Although the precise causes of intellectual disabilities and speech impairments remain unknown, the research to date has implicated environmental, biological and psychosocial factors that operate in a complex fashion to produce the disability.