Chapter 12 Understanding Students with Physical Disabilities and Other Health Impairments

Defining Physical Disabilities IDEA uses the term orthopedic impairments, but educators typically use the term physical disabilities. Typically refers to a large group of students who experience conditions that are very different from each other The term may also be used to include students with: Severe and multiple disabilities Traumatic brain injury Focus on two types of physical disabilities: Cerebral palsy Spina bifida

Characteristics of Cerebral Palsy A disorder of movement or posture due to damage in the brain Multiple types Spastic Dyskinetic Athetoid Ataxic Mixed Causes Prenatal Perinatal Postnatal Other associated conditions Possible intellectual disability Speech/language problems Vision impairments Seizures

Characteristics of Spina Bifida Malformation of the spinal cord Three common forms Spina bifida occulta Meningocele Myelomeningocele Causes Occurs in early pregnancy due to environmental and genetic factors Mothers using regular supplements containing folic acid reduce their risk Other associated conditions Usually does not affect intelligence Depending on location of defect, may cause incontinence or other urinary and bowel problems

Defining Other Health Impairments IDEA defines as chronic health problems those that have an adverse impact on educational performance. Distinguished from severe and multiple disabilities, physical disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries May be: Chronic: develops slowly and has long-lasting symptoms Acute: develops quickly with intense symptoms that last a relatively short period of time

Characteristics of Epilepsy Characterized by seizures (abnormal electrical discharges in the brain) Conditions associated with epilepsy Most children have lower IQ and academic achievement They are at risk for being diagnosed with AD/HD Adolescents with epilepsy are reported to have higher levels of depression

Characteristics of Asthma Most prevalent chronic illness of children and leading cause of school absences Conditions associated with asthma Fatigue from waking during the night because of breathing difficulties Absences from school due to symptoms Fatigue and school absenteeism are associated with lower academic performance

Partnering for Special Education and Related Services Health condition must adversely impact educational performance for an IEP Otherwise, develop a 504 plan Components of the health care plan

Planning for Universal Design for Learning Electronic text Use word processing programs Use presentation software Embedded links Access existing electronic text Download digital talking book player

Planning for Other Educational Needs Adaptive PE Allows for student with disabilities to participate in a typical sport or physical activity Modified equipment Beeping ball for student with visual impairment

Helpful Tips for the Classroom Token economies Self-awareness The term self-awareness refers to one’s understanding of oneself as a unique individual and is often used in conjunction with the notions of self-understanding and self-knowledge Driver’s Ed A driver’s license is the key to freedom and independence Having a driver’s license impacts a student’s social activity Schools need modified vehicles for students with disabilities

Making Accommodations for Assessment Computer-Based Assessment Frequent Breaks Scribe Physical access to testing environment Security concerns, test materials, and environmental controls

Understanding Students with Traumatic Brain Injury Chapter 13 Understanding Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

Defining Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired injury caused by external physical force Two types of TBI: Closed head injury Open head injury Does not include congenital, infections, degenerative, or birth trauma

Characteristics Characteristics will vary according to: Site and extent of injury Length of time student was in a coma Student’s maturational stage at the time of injury Possible changes due to TBI: Physical Cognitive Linguistic Behavioral, emotional, and social

Determining the Causes Accidents Most are motor vehicle Falls Assaults Firearm (2/3 are suicide attempts) Child abuse Shaken-baby syndrome Sports and recreational injuries

Determining the Presence Evaluation must be comprehensive and ongoing Glasgow Outcomes Scale: classifies injuries into broad groups: Death Persistent vegetative state Severe disability Moderate disability Good recovery

Determining the Nature of Specially Designed Instruction and Services Memory Attention and Concentration Executive Functioning Self-Awareness Language

For successful hospital to school transitions: Involve educators during hospital stay Keep school personnel updated on student medical progress Make the time for homebound instruction as short as possible Frequently monitor the student’s progress after re-entry Assign someone to be the point person for coordinating the transition

Determining Supplementary Aids and Services Teaching memory aids, including: Following a routine schedule Keeping appointments that are not routine Taking medications Remembering to perform a new task Marking when to start or end a task Using technology: visual assistants, PDA’s, pagers/digital beepers, electronic watches

Planning for Universal Design for Learning Instructional Pacing Appropriate instructional pacing Frequent student responses Adequate processing time Monitoring responses Frequent feedback

Helpful Tips in the Classroom Collaborative teaming Cooperative learning strategies Problem-solving Decision Making Test item construction The use of a scribe