Socialization Problems Faced by Intellectually Delayed Children. By Dr Nadeem Ghayas

October 21, 2024

Intellectual Disability has been termed in various manners in the various specialties depending on how the condition is perceived. First definitions have focused on biological and medical requirements but as teachers and psychologists started paying more attention to the field, educational requirements took precedence.

The AAIDD specifies intellectual disability as a severe restriction in intellectual functioning and conceptual, social and practical abilities that define adaptive behavior in development.

Delays in brain development during the period of development have dire consequences of impaired academic, social, emotional and behavioral adaptability of people with intellectual disabilities. In this aspect, the condition implies a disruption of the mental and cognitive development and as such, the person is not able to acquire the adaptive skills they require to cope with life in its every day way.

The adaptively behaved possess the conceptual/social practical skills that allow them to live in their day to day lives. This implies that intellectually disabled individuals with lack of social skills have high chances of being confused by social signals during interactions, and are more susceptible to manipulations by other people. Moreover, they may not easily settle their feelings in the company of their friends.

The intellectual disabled people and children are spread everywhere in the globe. Depending upon the assessment and diagnosis, the population of each country or region is different. Intellectual disability has no dependence on race, skin color, socioeconomic status, and national status.

The termination of these disabilities is described as impairments in conceptual, social, and practical abilities to perform the simple tasks. It also incorporates disorders that are associated with mental capabilities. The lack of social skills is the most significant aspect of intellectual disability of an individual.

Moreover, developmentally disabled patients might not have social and could also have poor eye contact and facial expression, lack non-verbal behavior and gestures, and not be able to sustain relationships with others.

People with intellectual disabilities find it hard to exercise their social abilities in various circumstances. Katz and Lazcano-Ponce believe that disability has great social implications on the victims.

Socialization inherently exists in child development process, as it impacts on emotional, cognitive and social development of a child. Children with intellectual disability however tend to have major problems with proper socialization. These are important issues that parents, educators and caregivers should understand to enable them to offer the relevant support and intervention.

Communication difficulties in children with intellectual disabilities are one of the most tragic socialisation issues. Most of these children experience problems in verbal and nonverbal communication which hinders their socializing needs, feelings, and thoughts.

The American speech-language-hearing association (ASHA) states that without effective communication it is impossible to build friendships and engage in social interactions (ASHA, 2023). Inability to communicate may cause frustration to these children and this will result in social isolation and inappropriate behavior of the children that will create further isolation among the children.

Intellectually disabled children possess the poorly developed non-verbal communication skills, including the knowledge of body language and facial expressions. This gap may result in the misperception and wrong interpretation in social interactions. As an illustration, a child can interpret a friendly gesture of one peer as aggression, and results in avoidance or confrontation ( Guralnick, 1997 ). Social interaction can be enhanced greatly by improving the communication skills through specific interventions like speech therapy.

Another area where children with intellectual disabilities might have a problem is in making and sustaining friendships. They might have problems with cognitive and emotional problems that can cause them to be unable to engage in appropriate games and social activities at their age. It has also been demonstrated that children with intellectual disability usually get bullied and criticized by other children, which affects their capacity to develop friendships (Kregel & McGhee, 2001). This isolation may result into loneliness and self-esteem lows and this may deter children to socialize.

To make the environment more conducive, interventions that facilitate the learning process of the social skills and promote the integration of inclusive practices within the school can be used. Carter et al. (2016) study indicate that children with intellectual disabilities who are part of an inclusive learning setting can interact more with their peers and this could result in better social skills and friendships.

Intellectually disabled children have behavioral problems that make the process of trying to socialize difficult. Such children can develop tantrums, aggressiveness and withdrawal behavior that can cause their exclusion by their peers. These actions are frequently the reaction to frustrations, anxiety, or failure to manage social scenarios (Fowler, 2015).

It is imperative to understand the underlying causes of such behaviors in order to come up with effective measures to help such children. The challenges related to decoding social cues and controlling emotions are likely to be the root causes of behavioral problems.

When a child is overwhelmed in a busy place, he/she may get out of control or attempt to get away. Such problems can be reduced by implementing behavioral intervention plans involving the teaching of coping mechanisms and social skills (Smith et al., 2018). Also, a structured, predictable environment can be developed, which will decrease the level of anxiety and lead to more positive social interactions. Inclusive environments are significant in eliminating the socialization problems of children with intellectual delays.

When schools and community programs emphasize the concept of inclusion, they offer the children the chance to learn about one another and interact. The studies have indicated that inclusive settings provide empathetic and understanding state between peers that may diminish bias and lead to acceptance (Lindsay, 2007).

Included in the activities that can be encouraged by teachers and caregivers are the activities that demand collaborative work and communication. Children can be trained intelligently to practice social skills in support context helped by group projects, games, and through joint training experience (Wang and Ryndak, 2015). Besides, you can enhance the process of identifying and resolve discreet socialization problems among such children by educating teachers on the process of developing an inclusive class.

Another significant aspect that helps in enhancing the socialization of children with intellectual delays is parental involvement. Parents are crucial in shaping the social behavior and giving the children a chance to socialize with other children. Participation in playdates, group activities and social events should be encouraged to make children learn social skills in a safe and familiar setting (Turnbull et al., 2011).

In addition, parents can represent the needs of their children in education by offering them the relevant supports and facilities. An open communication between parents and teachers may result in understanding of the challenges facing socialization of the child and finding proper ways of addressing them.

To sum up, the issue of children with intellectual disabilities is a myriad of socialization issues, which may greatly influence the emotional and social growth of the child. The areas that need to be focused on are communication difficulties, peer relationship problems, behavioral problems, and the necessity of the inclusive environment. Knowing such problems will enable parents, educators and caregivers to collaborate to establish a favorable environment that encourages social skills to develop good interactions. The use of specific intervention, inclusivity, and the involvement of parents are crucial measures in solving the socialization issues of children with intellectual disabilities. Through proper guidance, these children are able to build meaningful relationships, boost their self esteem, and live social lives that are satisfying. In the end, socializing children who are intellectually delayed not only results to benefiting individuals, but enhancing the communities in which these children live in which there is an understanding and inclusion culture.

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