Teaching Students with Developmental Disabilities (Chapter 7 of Text) Professor Daniel J. Abbott ED 242 Fall 2009

What are Developmental Disabilities? Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long, disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, usually manifested prior to age 18 but can occur at any age. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living.

More about Development Disabilities Developmental disabilities affecting daily functioning in three or more of the following: capacity for independent living economic self-sufficiency learning mobility receptive and expressive language self-care

Types of Developmental Disabilities Frequently, people with cerebral palsy, various genetic and chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder are examples of developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are usually classified as severe, profound, moderate or mild, as assessed by the individual's need for supports.

Causes of Developmental Disabilities Brain injury or infection before, during or after birth Growth or nutrition problems Abnormalities of chromosomes and genes Babies born long before the expected birth date - also called extreme prematurity Poor diet and health care Drug misuse during pregnancy, including alcohol intake and smoking.

Characteristics of Distributions Student scores can be talked about in terms of: mean, variance, skew, and kurtosis. Mean-For a population (N) or a sample (n), the mean is the arithmetic average of all values. Variance- describes the distance between each score. Skew- refers to the symmetry of a distribution of scores.

Characteristics….(continued) Skew is used in reference to Normal Distribution (bell shaped curve) in this case we are talking about the distribution of test scores. Scores can positively (many students earn high scores with few earning low scores and negatively skewed (many students earn low scores and few earn high scores).

Facts about Developmental Disabilities Developmental disabilities affect between 1 and 2% of the population in most western countries making it a low incidence disability. Developmental disabilities are twice as common in males as in females. Note: None of the disabilities listed under low- incidence disabilities generally exceed 1% of the school-aged population at any given time.

For your Information Low-incidence disabilities include: Blindness & low vision Deafness & hard-of-hearing deaf-blindness Significant developmental delay Orthopedic impairment Multiple disability Emotional or behavioral disorders

Common Developmental Disabilities Cerebral palsy (CP) is the term used for a group of non-progressive disorders of movement and posture caused by abnormal development of, or damage to, motor control centers of the brain. CP does not include conditions due to progressive disease or degeneration of the brain.

CP (continued) Also excluded from CP are any disorders of muscle control that arise in the muscles themselves and/or in the peripheral nervous system (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord). CP is not a specific diagnosis, but is more accurately considered a description—a description of a broad but defined group of neurological and physical problems.

Closing Comments about CP Symptoms of CP include difficulty with fine motor tasks such as writing and difficulty gross motor skills like walking. Some people with CP are also affected by other medical disorders such as seizures. In almost 70% of cases, CP is found with some other disorder, the most common being mental retardation.

Down Syndrome Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes lifelong mental retardation, developmental delays and other problems. Down syndrome occurs when an individual is born with three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems.

Down Syndrome (continued) A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. As a woman's age increases, the risk of having a Down syndrome baby increases significantly. – At younger ages (below age 35), the risk is about one in 4,000; by age 45 the risk becomes one in 35.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition that results in permanent birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a common cause of mental retardation. Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose.

Mental Retardation It is defined as an intellectual functioning level (as measured by intelligence quotient) that is well below average and significant limitations in daily living skills (adaptive functioning). Mental retardation is defined as IQ score below Adaptive skills are the skills needed for daily life. Such skills include the ability to produce and understand language (communication); home-living skills and use of community resources.

Fragile X Syndrome Fragile X happens when there is a change or mutation in a single gene Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1). This gene normally makes a protein the body needs for the brain to develop. When there is a change in this gene, the body makes only a little bit or none of the protein, which can cause the symptoms of Fragile X.

Fragile X (continued) Parents can have children with Fragile X even if the parents do not have Fragile X themselves. Symptoms are often milder in girls than in boys. Common signs of Fragile X: Intelligence and learning – Many people with Fragile X have intellectual disabilities. These problems can range from mild to severe.

Symptoms (continued) Physical – Teens and adults with Fragile X may have long ears, faces, and jaws. Many people with Fragile X may also have loose, flexible joints and able to extend joints like the thumb, knee, and elbow further than normal. Social and emotional problems, such as aggression in boys or shyness in girls. Speech and language problems, boys stutter or leave out parts of their words.

Interventions Speech and language, behavior, cognitive development, sensory integration, gross motor development, and daily living are areas that often need to be addressed for someone with fragile X syndrome. Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) will include goals that may be written as speech-language goals, sensory motor programming, behavioral plans, or academic goals.

Vocabulary Words Adaptive behavior refers to the effectiveness in which individuals meet the standards of personal independence and social responsibility expected for their age and cultural group. Many students with mental retardation display biased responding, which is saying “yes” because they want to please the teacher or hide their confusion.

Developmental Disabilities and the General Education Classroom IDEA mandates access to the general education curriculum. Therefore, as a classroom teacher you will probably have students with development disabilities in your class. Planning Pyramids, COACH, and MAPS are examples of planning systems that can facilitate participating in the general education classroom (see text for details).

Role of Gen. Ed. Teacher Take ownership of students with disabilities by demonstrating that these students are members of the class too. – When this happen, students with disabilities develop a sense of belonging and being accepted. Become familiar with the full range of goals and objectives on the student’s IEP. Curriculum Adaptations