Understanding Disabilities 6 General Types of Disabilities

6 General Types of Disabilities Physical Disabilities Visual Disabilities Hearing Disabilities Mental Health Disabilities Intellectual Disabilities Learning Disabilities

1. Physical Disabilities Includes physiological, functional and/or mobility impairments Can be fluctuating or intermittent, chronic, progressive or stable, visible or invisible Some involve extreme pain, some less, some none at all

Characteristics of “Progressive” conditions and examples: These disabilities get worse over time but can fluctuate: Multiple Sclerosis – neurological deterioration Muscular Dystrophy – muscular disorders Chronic Arthritis – inflammation of the joints

Characteristics of “Non-Progressive” conditions and examples: These disabilities are non-progressive and remain stable: Cerebral Palsy – neurological condition Spina Bifida – congenital malformation of the spinal cord Spinal Cord Injury – neurological damage resulting from trauma These disabilities are non progressive but can fluctuate Fibromyalgia – chronic pain condition Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – chronic fatigue condition

2. Visual Disabilities “Legally Blind” describes an individual who has 10% or less of normal vision Only 10% of people with visual disability are actually totally blind. The other 90% are described as having a “Visual Impairment” Common Causes of vision loss include: Cataracts – cloudy vision (treatable) Diabetes – progressive blindness Glaucoma – loss of peripheral vision Macular Detachment – blurred central vision Retinal Detachment – loss of vision Retinitis Pigmentosa – progressive blindness

3. Hearing Disabilities “Deaf” describes an individual who has severe to profound hearing loss “Deafened describes an individual who has acquired a hearing loss in adulthood “DeafBlind” describes an individual who has both a sight and hearing loss “Hard of Hearing” describes an individual who uses their residual hearing and speech to communicate

4. Mental Health Disabilities Mental Health Disabilities can take many forms; just as physical disabilities do Unlike many physical illnesses though, all mental illness can be treated They are generally classified into 6 categories

Categories of Mental Health Disabilities Schizophrenia – the most serious mental illness Mood Disorders – depression is the most common mood disorder Anxiety Disorders – include phobias and panic disorder as well as obsessive compulsive disorder Eating Disorders – include anorexia nervosa and bulimia Personality Disorders – many different types of personality disorders; people with these disorders usually have a hard time getting along with others; they are the most difficult to treat Organic Brain Disorders – they are the result of a physical disease or injury to the brain (i.e., Alzheimer’s, Stroke, Dementia)

5. Intellectual Disabilities Characterized by intellectual development and capacity that is significantly below average Involves a permanent limitation in a person’s ability to learn Causes of Intellectual (or Developmental) Disabilities Include: Any condition that impairs development of the brain before birth, during birth, or in childhood years Genetic conditions Illness affecting the mother during pregnancy Use of alcohol or drugs by pregnant mothers Childhood diseases Poverty – children in poor families may become intellectually disabled because of malnutrition, disease- producing conditions, inadequate medical care, and environmental health hazards

6. Learning Disabilities A learning disability is essentially a specific and persistent disorder of a person’s central nervous system affecting the learning process This impacts a person’s ability to either interpret what they see and hear, or to link information from different parts of the brain One of the most common indicators of a learning disability is a discrepancy between the individual’s potential (aptitudes and intellectual capacity) and his/her actual level of achievement Having a learning disability does not mean a person is incapable of learning; rather that they learn in a different way Many people with a learning disability develop strategies to compensate for or to circumvent their difficulties