Strategy checklist for common features of intellectual impairment


The following comprehensive list of strategies is courtesy of Kerri Inglis, from her Skills4Success workshop on "Intellectual Impairment - Practical Behaviour Solutions".  Many thanks to Kerri for allowing me to share this very useful material for the benefit of teachers and their students with Intellectual Impairment. In her workshop, examples are given for all of these strategies.

  • Be cognizant of illness, fatigue or other physical factors.
  • Gain the person's attention, give instructions face to face, get on the same level, make eye contact.
  • Allow to participate to level of endurance - may need to get more rest breaks.
  • Get advice about secondary conditions.
  • Communicate with parents about medical requirements.
  • Modify equipment and/or tasks.
  • Kick start the process - provide concentrated teaching, model tasks, fade out support over time.
  • Ensure the level of difficulty of tasks is modified to suit developmental stage.
  • Use social stories/cartoons as a teaching method.
  • Model language and appropriate social behavior repeatedly.
  • Use clear, simple instructions, short instructions - caution - are there: too many, too few, too hard, poorly timed, too vague, conflicting body language.
  • Try to encourage times for staff and peers to talk WITH the person (not just to or about).
  • Be patient, the person may need more time to answer (wait 10 seconds).
  • Encourage reading and singing.
  • Look for conversation starters that interest the person.
  • Discourage others from talking for the person.
  • Use other forms of communication - gestures, makaton, PECS, technological aids etc.
  • Frame instructions in a positive manner (eg: "Hands down" rather than "stop hitting")
  • Use visual tools - feeling cards/routines/programs etc.
  • Reduce distractions.
  • Set up firm routines and keep structured.
  • Maintain consistency wherever possible.
  • Aim for consistent strategies with parents and carers.
  • Break down instructions to smaller steps (1 instruction at a time).
  • Cut down length of tasks to accommodate a shorter concentration span.
  • Give warning of what is coming - count down to the next thing happening.
  • Change memory pegs - alter the environment/people involved.
  • Create a link between situations to help memory recall.
  • Actively teach cause and effect, consequences.
  • Teach how to recognise, explore and express feelings.
  • Teach sexuality, public and private behaviour and social boundaries.
  • Set up situations to encourage success and self esteen.
  • Give the person some control - allow them to teach or mentor.
  • Allow the person to be involved in rule making.
  • Avoid giving instructions that offer a choice of complying (eg. Do you want to .....Would you.....?)
  • Offer a choice between 2 different options (Would you like an apple or an orange?)
  • Make sure the person has plenty of interesting and engaging things to do.
  • Prepare for times of high stress, particularly transitions.
  • Use "when you, then you"
  • Repetition, repetition, repetition
  • Look for the reasons behind behaviour - look at the background factors, use assessment forms.
  • Praise compliance (age appropriate) - use behaviour charts.
  • Refer to the behaviour not the person - no blaming.
  • Avoid power struggles.
  • Have reasonable expectations - no one is perfectly behaved 100% of the time.
  • Manage your own feelings.