Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant limitations in intellectual function and adaptive behavior that manifest during the developmental phase.
Causes of Intellectual Disability
ID can have several causes:
- Metabolism;
- Contagious;
- Chromosomal;
- Environment;
- Nutrition;
- Toxic: Intrauterine exposure to alcohol, cocaine, or other drugs.
- And various other causes
It can also arise at different times::
- Before the baby is born;
- During birth;
- Because of a serious illness in childhood.
Mental retardation symptoms
Social and practical skills are affectedi.e., the daily living skills required to live, work and play in the community: communication, social and interpersonal skills, self-care, home living, self-control, basic academic skills (reading, writing and math), work, leisure, health and security.
Adaptability is considered to be limited if there is a deficit in at least two of these areas compared to children of the same age and culture.
+ Information
Cognitive stimulation in people with intellectual disabilities
Cognitive stimulation is recommended for all persons with intellectual disabilities to improve their existing skills. Try to maximally develop those who have them and give them strategies to replace those who cannot develop them. The aim is to lead a life that is as functional and autonomous as possible.
The cognitive stimulation program With NeuronUP, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists and speech therapists can adapt every activity to the specifics and needs of children with intellectual disabilities.
The examples of activities for children with intellectual disabilities described here were developed by NeuronUP on the principles of generalization.
Activities for children with intellectual disabilities
1. Find the other picture
How is it played?
Children need to point out the different picture in a series of pictures
NeuronUP activity “Find the other picture”
Games on different levels
At the simplest levels, the difference will be more obvious, while at more advanced levels it will be more complicated to see the difference at first glance.
In addition, this card is available in both Digital and paper format.
Cognitive functions
2. Find Toby
How is it played?
This game for children with intellectual disabilities consists in following the instructions as quickly as possible until the object is found.
Games by level
On the easier levels, the user has fewer indicators to find Toby and the matrix is smaller, while on the more difficult levels the indicators multiply and the matrix is larger.
Customize the activity
In addition, you can customize the activity to suit each child’s ability.
General aspects
You can adjust general aspects such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether or not the stopwatch should be visible for the activity, change the instructions, etc.
parameter
And on the other hand the parameters where the Size of the matrix, the time spent on the stimuli, the start (fixed or random) and the maximum errors can be customized.
Cognitive functions
3. Painting and coloring
The child has to color in the drawing based on the model.
NeuronUP activity “Painting and Coloring” (also available in English and Portuguese)
Games by level
In the easier levels, the child has fewer areas to color and fewer colors to choose from, while in the more advanced levels they have more parts to paint and more colors to choose from.
In addition, this card is available in both Digital and paper format.
Cognitive functions
Learn how to use NeuronUP
Sign up for a free webinar
4. Pairs of animals
The point is to discover the pairs between face-down cards.
Games by level
On the easier levels the user has fewer cards and the animals are more diverse, while on the more difficult levels there are more cards and the animals are more similar.
Personalization of the activity
In addition, you can customize the activity to suit each child’s ability.
General aspects
You can adjust general aspects such as the number of exercises, the maximum time, whether you want the stopwatch to be visible for the activity, the warning of inactivity, changing the performance instructions, etc.
parameter
And on the other hand, the parameters for which you can select them Number of cards, memorization, similarity between elements, movement of elements and numbering on the back.
Cognitive functions
5. Step by step (pictures)
This card for children with intellectual disabilities is to put in order the various steps required to complete an activity. In this case, the steps must be ordered so that Martha can wash her hands.
Games by level
At the simplest levels, the child needs to order fewer steps, while at the more complicated levels, many more steps need to be ordered.
In addition, this card is available in both Digital and paper format.
Cognitive functions
If you enjoyed this article about activities for children with intellectual disabilities, you may also be interested in:
Specialists in cognitive stimulation at the NeuronUP
Professional neurorehabilitation tool
Comments are closed.