Students with mild intellectual disabilities typically exhibit difficulty in:

Students with mild intellectual disabilities often experience difficulty in applying newly learned skills to different contexts. This characteristic is significant because while they may be able to acquire basic skills in a structured environment, transferring these skills to new situations is more challenging. For example, a student may learn how to solve a particular type of math problem in a classroom setting but struggle to apply that same problem-solving method during a practical task or in real-life scenarios.

This difficulty with generalization is crucial in special education, as educators need to focus not only on teaching specific skills but also on helping students find ways to use those skills across various settings. Effective instructional strategies often include repeated practice in diverse situations and explicit connections between learned skills and their application in everyday life.

In contrast, the other options reflect areas where students with mild intellectual disabilities might not face as significant challenges. For instance, following multi-step directions, communicating effectively, and understanding basic academic concepts can often be developed with appropriate supports and individualized instruction.