An%20overview%20of%20Disabilities,%20common%20characteristics,%20and%20helpful%20hints

1
An overview of Disabilities, common
characteristics, and helpful hints

• From Johns, B Crowley, EP (2005).Students
  with Disabilities and General Education A
  desktop Reference for School Personnel. Horsham,
  PA LRP Publications. Chapter 7.

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IDEA definition of specific learning disability

• A disorder in one or more basic psychological
  processes involved in understanding or in using
  language, spoken or written, which disorder may
  manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen,
  think, speak, read, write, spell or do
  mathematical calculations.

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Learning disabilities include

• Perceptual disabilities
• Brain injury
• Minimal brain dysfunction
• Dyslexia
• Developmental aphasia

4
Learning disabilities do not include

• Visual
• Hearing
• Motor disabilities
• Mental retardation
• Emotional disturbance
• Environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage

5
Learning disabilities are not

• Synonymous with low achievers
• Mild disabilities, and they are life-long
• Fixable and short term

6
Some characteristics of children with learning
disabilities

• Student learns a skill in a different way or at a
  different pace
• Student has difficulty processing information in
  particular ways
• Student has difficulty storing information either
  short term or long term
• Student has difficulty in the perception of
  information (letter or number reversal)
• Student has difficulty perceiving social
  situations (sees them differently)

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What a teacher can do for students with learning
disabilities

• Learn about the child and the learning disability
• Use multiple learning styles and multiple forms
  of communicating instructions
• Avoid lengthy directions
• Use strategies to help students remember
• Break down tasks into smaller steps
• Provide additional time for schoolwork and tests
• Allow the student with reading problems to use
  textbooks on tape or similar devices
• Allow the student with listening difficulties to
  borrow notes or use a tape recorder
• Allow the student with writing difficulties to
  use a computer with spell check, grammar checks,
  or speech recognition
• Teach organizational and study skills

8
Speech or language disability defined

• Communication disorder, like stuttering, impaired
  articulation, language impairment or voice
  impairment

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Characteristics of speech or language disability

• Mispronouncing syllables or whole words
• Voice disorder, including abnormal pits, loudness
  or voice quality
• Fluency disorder, pauses, hesitations,
  repetitions
• Stutter
• Reluctance to speak

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What the teacher can do for speech and language
disorders

• Work closely with speech therapist
• Minimize the pressure to perform verbally and
  reduce students anxiety
• Use nonverbal listening skills such as eye
  contact and facial expressions
• Let the student finish talking
• Dont finish the students sentences
• Do not allow other students to make fun of the
  student
• Provide positive feedback for all communication
  efforts

11
Emotional disturbance defined

• Inability to learn or maintain satisfactory
  interpersonal relationships that can not be
  explained otherwise
• Inappropriate behavior or feelings under normal
  circumstances
• Mood of unhappiness or depression
• Develops physical symptoms or fears associated
  with personal or school problems
• Schizophrenia
• Does not apply to students who are maladjusted,
  unless they have an emotional disturbance.

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What the teacher can do for students with
Emotional disturbances

• Provide positive recognition for appropriate
  behavior
• Set clear limits so student knows what is
  expected
• Provide posted rules/expectations and teach the
  student what they mean and provide reminders
• Follow the students behavioral intervention plan
  (IEP)
• Develop a non-verbal cueing system to assist the
  student
• Provide assigned seating
• Start each day newdont hold grudges

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Autism defined

• Developmental disability that affects verbal and
  nonverbal communication and social interaction
  before age 3.

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Characteristics of students with autism

• Student may have a range in degree of
  intellectual functioning and any adverse effect
  on educational performance
• Significant communication/language/
• interpersonal skill deficits
• Self stimulate (rocking, hitting self)
• Inappropriate emotions
• Becomes upset with routine or environmental
  changes
• Becomes frustrated when over-stimulated

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What the teacher can do for students with autism

• Prepare the child for change in environment or
  routine
• Avoid too much stimulation and a high noise level
  
• Break down directions into very small steps
• Provide multiple opportunities for appropriate
  repetitive movements

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Other Health impairments defined

• Having limited strength, vitality or alertness
  due to chronic or acute health problems such as
  asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention
  deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes,
  epilepsy, heart condition, hemophilia, lead
  poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever,
  and sickle cell anemia

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Characteristics of students with other health
impairments

• Difficulty staying on task or paying attention to
  important aspect for a long period of time
• Impulsive
• Need to move around frequently
• Easily distracted
• Problems breathing
• Easily infected
• Energetic
• Difficulty paying attention when not feeling well

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What the teacher can do for students with other
health impairments

• Provide many opportunities for movement
• Keep lecture and written activities short
• Use visuals during teaching centered activities
• Provide fidgets (ball, paperclip)
• Provide positive reinforcement
• Provide organizers away from desk for items
  student is not currently using
• Use timers
• Use highlighters to color code instructions and
  key parts of assignments

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What the teacher can do regarding other health
impairments

• Learn about the health disability
• Follow physicians instructions regarding level
  of activity
• Work with school dietician regarding dietary
  restrictions
• Watch for changes in behavior or unusual lethargy

20
Mental retardation defined

• Sub-average general intellectual functioning with
  deficits in adaptive behavior

21
Characteristics of students with mental
retardation

• Student learns at a slower rate
• Student will have difficulty grasping abstract
  concepts
• Student may not remember directions he or she is
  given

22
What the teacher can do for students with mental
retardation

• Provide new information at a slower rate
• Provide concrete directions
• Repeat directions as much as possible
• Provide reinforcement for rote material learned

23
Traumatic brain injury

• An acquired injury caused by physical force
  resulting in total or partial functional
  disability or psychosocial impairment

24
Characteristics of students with traumatic brain
injury

• Reduced stamina
• Seizures/headaches
• Hearing/vision problems
• Easily confused
• Mood swings and problems with social skills

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What the teacher can do for students with
traumatic brain injuries

• Talk with administrator/parent to find the extent
  of the injury
• Avoid an unstructured daily routine
• Keep directions simple and concrete
• Plan ahead for specific activities
• Be clear on rules and review them frequently
• Document any unusual circumstances of changes in
  behavior

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Hearing impairment defined

• Impairment of hearing severe enough to adversely
  affect a childs educational performance, whether
  permanent or fluctuating

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Characteristics of a student who is hearing
impaired

• Uses gestures
• Hearing aides
• Sign language
• May write on paper or refuse to write on paper if
  feels inadequate
• Isolation due to communication barriers
• Unintentional noises

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What the teacher can do for a student who is
hearing impaired

• Minimize background noise
• Face the student when giving instruction
• Use an overhead or power point so you can face
  the class while instructing
• Teachers mouth should be fully visible when
  speaking
• Stand in areas without bright backlighting
• Maximize visual and tactile access
• Use advance organizers

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Deafness defined

• Hearing impairment so severe that student can not
  process linguistic information through hearing,
  with or without amplification

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Characteristics of deafness

• Student may talk very loudly
• Student may feel isolated due to communication
  barriers
• Student may use gestures
• Student may use an interpreter

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What the teacher can do for a student who is deaf

• Address the child, not the interpreter
• Increase wait time during lecture
• Meet regularly with the interpreter to assess the
  communication services
• Learn a few signs for vocabulary frequently used
  in the classroom

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Visual impairment defined

• Includes blindness, but can include partial or
  complete blindness
• Some visual impairments may be corrected with
  glasses

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What the teacher can do for students with visual
impairments

• Provide extra time to complete a task
• Provide verbal descriptions
• Help implement an IEP team decision to provide
  services necessary
• Provide assistance in the students orientation
  to the classroom and around the building
• Talk about where things are
• Dont lead the student teacher hand at students
  elbow may be enough
• Remind sighted students/adults to identify
  themselves by name
• Describe objects when referring to them
• Dont leave student standing or waiting along in
  an open space
• Do not move things in classroom without notifying
  student

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Deaf-blindness defined

• Hearing and visual impairments
• Cause communication and other developmental/educat
  ional needs

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Characteristics of students with deaf-blindness

• Demonstrates serious impairments and growing
  diversity of impairments
• Significant medical complications
• Self-stimulating behaviors (rocking)
• Easily aroused (frustration, self-abusive,
  aggressive, withdrawn)
• Lack of responsiveness
• Own interests and signaling methods
• Vulnerable to stress

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What the teacher can do for students who are
deaf-blind

• Teach systematically what non-impaired students
  learn
• Increase the length of time to master daily
  classroom objectives
• Establish sensitivity and awareness
• Mutual attention
• Respond to students signals
• Keep classroom emotions positive

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Orthopedic impairment defined

• Clubfoot, absence of an appendage
• Polio-myelitis, bone tuberculosis
• Cerebral palsy, amputations, fractures or burns

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Characteristics of students with orthopedic
impairments

• Unable to coordinate body movement
• Muscles may weaken and degenerate
• Nerve control and lack of feeling
• Painful movement

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What the teacher can do for students with
orthopedic impairments

• Avoid barriers in the classroom
• Plan accommodations ahead of time
• Provide extra time for movement and transitions
• Treat student with respect
• Provide assistance as needed
• Monitor safety and health
• Meet with building administrator regarding
  specific medical emergency plan

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Multiple disabilities defined

• Combination of disabilities
• Teacher should try to find out as much as
  possible about the multiple disabilities

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General words of advice

• Stay informed of changes
• Changes in medication
• Behavioral changes
• Academic changes
• Talk with parents and let them know of any
  academic or behavioral changes in their student
  in response to any changes in medication