Intellectual Disability Therapy - Essay Example

Intellectual Disability Therapy Name Course Name Instructor Date Abstract Mental health affects intellectual disabilities more than any other persons. Support workers, family helpers and professional have problem assisting mental patient who suffering from intellectual disabilities. Therefore, mental problem add much strain to the service provider and result to stress and depression. Intellectual disabilities persons present challenging behaviors to the community and increase the needs for more resources to ensure that specialized care is accessible and affordable. The paper explains who intellectual disabilities are, and services and support they get from care givers. Moreover, the research paper discuses scholarly journal that had researched on various ways of providing therapy to intellectual disabilities. Introduction Intellectual disability can be explained as the challenges of mental capability. Moreover, it is linked to difficulties in adaptive behaviors. People with intellectual disability have problem managing money, routines, social interactions and even schedules. The disorder affects younger generation before they reach the age of 18 and is caused by different factors. Teenagers that lack adult responsiveness or have physical challenges such as cerebral palsy or autism are more likely to suffer from intellectual disability. Moreover, lack of early stimulation is also known to cause intellectual disorder (Bock, 2013). The study of psychology has intensified research in intellectual disability and has found a different way of addressing the problem. The research paper discusses the various ways of intellectual therapies. Literature Review Intellectual disability has no cure, but services and assistance help to improve the life of affected persons. Government and health institution have put structures that help in service delivery to patients and their immediate families. These services help people who suffer intellectual disorder to get basic needs such as education, housing, employment, justice, recreation and health care. The services include case management, vocational program, family support, residential options, early intervention, and education, etc. According to Hock, the myth of people having two brains has been proven wrong. In the study of the brain, Gazzaniga found that separating the corpus callosum, the organ that join the left brain to the right brain has no effect on the personality and intelligence of a person. This disapproved earlier beliefs that cutting of the corpus callosum cured severe epileptic. The study also found the right brain remembered visual object and faces and help in symbolic reasoning. The left brain was found to help in speaking and reading. Moreover, the left brain characterized people with high skills in math and writing (2009). Pavlov in his study on conditional responses argued that learning help in molding behaviors. In his experiment, Pavlov had rung a bell before feeding his dogs. Over time, he found the dogs salivating when they heard the sound of the bell even when it did not accompany with food. Therefore, there are aspects of life that people can be taught to help improve their life like intellectual disabilities (Hock, 2009). Furthermore, intellectual disabled people get support to help them in development, training, and have interests to improve on their life. Support is usually provided by friends, family members and the community in general. Harry in his study Discovering Love found that people are more likely to develop in places and situation that are comfortable (Hack, 2009). Therefore, intellectual disabilities need care and comfort in employment; job coaching includes support by service systems. Parents, friends, sibling and teachers or other persons can also provide support to patient of intellectual disorders (The Arc). Doody, et al (2013) writes on intellectual disability in Ireland about its development and future prospects. They report that the profession that takes care of mentally disabled patient has been put to question. Nursing profession in this field started in 1959 by providing services and education. However, time has passed, and the profession has changed as it shifts to standard set by national reports as well as international journals and current attitudes. Today, in Ireland intellectual disability course, take four years an extension from three years. Intellectual disability causes people to have problems in sexuality and relationships (Doody, 2013). The report reveals that intellectual disabilities lose opportunities to participate in relationships and sexual training due to perceptions and attitudes of family caregivers, professional staff and support workers. There was a survey in Ireland conducted do study how to minimize constraints among intellectual disabilities. After the survey, it was pointed out that the constraints could be addressed through partnering all worker and groups; enhance training about relationships and sexuality education, developing appreciable risk management and empowering intellectual patients. All humans suffer from stress now and then for various reasons. Stress has been found to cause physiological problem such as cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, stressful life has a correlation with a mental problem and depression. Therefore, parenting as a routine exercise is affected by stressful experiences. Peer (2012) in his study on parents and individual with intellectual disability reveals that stress is a phenomenon in families with intellectual disabled. Parenting is known to course stain in many families as parent ensures that the need of their children is fulfilled. However, parenting children with intellectual disabilities differ from parenting a normal person. Parents of a normal person have the expectation that when their kids mature they will become independent and live on their own. Parents wonder whether their kids will fully recover because they will always need attention even at their advanced age. According to results of a survey conducted in Michigan, coping has shown to relieve stress perceived for parents of intellectual disabilities (Peer, 2012). Music has played a crucial role in the history of the human race in treating stress and mild illness. Music therapy involves using organized sounds by a therapist to a patient to encourage emotional, mental, physical and social well-being. In other countries, music is advanced to patient by educators and music psychologists as part of psychotherapy. According to Bruscia (1987) the use of music is part of therapy and not a therapy on its own. Music therapists make contact through music by establishing a relationship with patients. In the process of their communication, music therapist observes how difficulties and problem affect the interactive communication. Music therapist has been useful in assisting intellectual disabilities to develop social skills (Bolton, 1983), physical skills, and improving communication of people suffering from autism. Discussion There are various ways that intellectual disabilities can be addressed. These therapeutic services include occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and other outdated therapies. Intellectual disabilities are able to secure employment and job related skills when they get proper assistance. Lastly, occupational therapy help improve on domestic activities such as cleaning, cooking and laundry (Reynolds et al, 2013). According to Bouchard et al, intellectual disabilities should be assisted by ensuring they are in an environment that will help their brains grow (Hock, 2009). Speech therapy helps in improving communication skills, receptive skills, language and expressive skills, improves on vocabulary and speech articulation. Majority of intellectual disabilities experience difficulties communication their views of the situation around them and this affect the learning of language and communicating (Reynolds et al, 2013). There is a large body of research that shows education and training help better the life of intellectual disabilities. In severe case where communication is not possible caregivers and professional has introduced sign languages. This has helped the patient to a great extent some have achieved much in their careers. The theory of two brained failed to prove that if one brain part fail the other will function fully (Hock, 2009). Physical therapy outlines measures taken to maximize self locomotion and mobility while offering a solution to these problems (Reynolds et al, 2013). People with difficulties walking or using their hand are best helped by conducting physical therapy. This way intellectual disability is encouraged to move and perform activities. This lessens the burden that the caregiver has of assisting the patients for a long period. Pavlov argued that a human can achieve extraordinary if classic condition is exercised. Intellectual disabled if assisted in exercising can improve on their conditions over time (Hack, 2009). There are other unproven and outdated treatments that are administered to intellectual disabilities. The first one is the ‘Orthomolecular’ therapy. Diet is a vital part in ensuring that human beings are exemplary healthy. The challenges that face people affect their life and determine their ways of life. Nevertheless, these challenges also face intellectual disabilities and some do not eat a healthy diet. In this scenario, nutritional supplements help improve their health. This has shown to improve learning, performance and cognitive capabilities. Orthomolecular therapy is said to reverse intellectual disability, but this has not been proven and substantiated by scientific methods (Reynolds et al, 2013). The second unproven method is medications. These are well accepted prescription for treatment of neuro-cognitive disorders and mostly when it cause of intellectual disabilities. There are no prescription drugs known to cure the spectrum of intellectual disorder, but ‘nootropic’ medicines administered to patient help in improving learning. However, there lack sufficient evidence to prove that ‘nootropic’ drugs facilitate learning in patients with intellectual disabilities (Reynolds et al, 2013). Talk therapy is the third outdated therapy for intellectual disabilities patients. Talk therapy is a psychotherapy which is useful in cases of psychiatric disorders. However, psychotherapy cannot cure intellectual disabilities; it can only be useful in some case where patient has psychiatric problems like depression. Talk therapy has not solved the problem of intellectual disorders, and it is not suitable for people with intellectual disabilities. Lastly, intellectual disabilities may one day be cured by use of genetic manipulations. The scientific evidence of genes is that it causes intellectual disability and may at one time be remove and exchanged with healthy genes. This area of study is ongoing, and it is a promising venture that can provide a cure for intellectual disabilities. IASSID (2002) report that there are more than sixty million intellectual disabilities in the world and this group represents the largest among people living with terminal disabilities. As Shakespeare said, old age makes people behave like children. This is true because old people depend on the younger generation for financial and social support. Moreover, old persons with intellectual disabilities have more challenges compared to those with proper mental health. Old age support and services increase the longevity and minimizes old age stigmatization. Intellectual therapy advanced to old people does not differ much from that of the younger generation, but the attention is always different. Therapeutic services for old persons include provision of housing or rentals financing. Moreover, establishing group homes help intellectual disabilities socialize with other people with similar challenges. Increasing access to community services achieves in providing social needs of the older generation with intellectual disorders. Old intellectual disabilities need to be enrolled to universal health programs and ensure periodic and routine health checks. Just like other adults, old people with intellectual disabilities also need work. Studies have shown that continued activities reduce cases of depression and emotional problems. Conclusion Intellectual disabilities therapy ensures that people with intellectual disorders have a fulfilling live. Education among other therapies decreases depression and cases of stress to caregiver and family members of these patients. References Bock, R. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Bolton A. & Adams M. (1983.) An investigation of the effects of music therapy on a group of profoundly mentally handicapped adults. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. 6 (4), 511 512. Bruscia K.E. (1987) Improvisational Models of Music Therapy. Springfield, IL. Doody, O., Slevin, E., and Taggart, L. (2012). Intellectual disability nursing in Ireland: Identifying its development and future. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 16: 7-16. http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=100 Duffy, B., Fuller, R. (2001). Role of Music Therapy in Social Skills Development in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability. Article first published online: 25 DEC 2001. DOI: 10.1046/j.1468-3148.2000.00011.x Hock, R. R. (2009). Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research, 7/E. London. Pearson. Print. International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities. (2002). Aging and Intellectual Disabilities. Retrieved form < http://iassid.org/pdf/aging-factsheet.pdf> Peer, J and Hillman, S. (2012). The mediating impact of coping style on stress perception for parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 16: 45-59. Reynolds, T., Zupanick, P. D., Dombeck, M. (2013). Therapies for Intellectual Disabilities and Outdated/unproven treatments. Retrieved from The Arc. Intellectual Disability. Retrieved from < http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2545> Read More