Including Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Your Comprehensive Counseling Program

By Tunisia Williams tunisia.william@ccboe.net

There has always been a special place in my heart for students with intellectual disabilities. I have often said that if I wasn’t a school counselor, I would have been a special education teacher. I have discovered being in my position as a school counselor gives me the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds.

Over the past 5 years, I have begun to develop relationships with the ASD, SID/PID, and MOID teachers and students in our building. Interacting with these students has become the highlight of my day. After speaking with one of our teachers, she informed me at her last school the school counselor had little to no interaction with her students. I understand our schedules are busy; however, it is important to serve all students in our buildings.

Let’s first start off with some basic information about intellectual disabilities or ID. An ID is a broad category and diagnosis that includes various skills and support requirements. It can manifest with an individual functioning intellectually and/or adaptively as expected. ID is not a disease or a mental health problem. Students with an ID can have an IQ range up to 70 and different levels of ID may require different levels of support. Also, the effects of ID can affect many areas of life are affected, including the role the person with ID in their family, relationship with friends, non-academic functioning, and self-confidence.

Now that you know the basics, here are a few ways to include students with intellectual disabilities into your comprehensive counseling program:

1. At the beginning of the school year, schedule a visit to the special education classes. A brief introduction with a few special treats for the students is always appreciated. Be sure to check with the teachers to find out what is appropriate for the students a.Keep expectations high but not out of reach. b.Use small steps. Break directions and tasks down into small, easy to follow steps. Use visuals with directions when possible. c.Teach social skills. Direct instruction is highly recommended to help students learn and understand how to interpret social situations. d.Students with an intellectual disability know when people care about and respect them. Positive relationships are critical in their development.

2. Conduct a simple classroom guidance lesson. This is a time where you can collaborate with the teacher to plan an appropriate lesson that matches the intellectual abilities of the students.

3. Schedule classroom visits to interact with students. If they are participating in a special activity, drop by to play a game or assist students.

4. Create opportunities for students to engage with and build relationships with other adults and students in the building. Our MOID students assist with the school store which is part of our PBIS program.

These are just a few of the ways I actively engage and interact with the students in our building. The following resources have lessons and activities you can use when working with secondary students:

•Life Skill Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs by Darlene Mannix

•Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs by Darlene Mannix