It is important to understand the terms associated with intellectual disabilities. The first term is disability. Disability is an individual performance that includes physical, sensory, cognitive and intellectual impairments, as well as various types of chronic illnesses. The next term concerns intelligence. This term refers to the ability to think logically, reason about problems, prepare, understand difficult ideas, examine intellectually, and the ability to quickly determine and/or gain experience. The third term is adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior is the set of conceptual, social and practical skills that all individuals acquire in order to implement them in their daily lives. An example of conceptual skills is number thinking. Following rules is an example of social skills. Life skills involve the use of money in society ("Assessment Psychology", (nd). Understanding people with intellectual disabilities. Research reveals that currently, approximately one million American students with disabilities are between 3 and 21 years of age. Therefore, these special needs students are eligible for special services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, only 34 percent of students have intellectual disabilities and 40 percent. of students have multiple disabilities During the 2007 to 2008 school year, 56 percent of students with autism graduated with a high school diploma (Lewis, 2011). definition, characteristics and causes of intellectual disability, head injuries, autism, severe disabilities and deafblindness will be discussed The first definition, characteristic. and the cause discussed... middle of document ......successfully in society As stated by IDEA, all students must be educated in the setting that will meet their needs. Students with severe and multiple disabilities may be involved in general education courses. However, if the student cannot function in a special education and/or regular education classroom, he or she will be placed in a home and/or residential institution. Deafblindness according to IDEA is not included in the special education program. “Despite the challenges their disabilities impose on their lives, these students demonstrate warmth, perseverance, determination, good humor, a sense of humor, sociability, and a variety of other desirable traits” (Heward, 2009, p. 458). Teachers therefore find pleasure in teaching these students. Teachers also look forward to observing their progress at school, at home and in the community..