Special Needs By: Sheridan McCarter

Visually Impaired

Definition: dim-sighted: having greatly reduced vision

Stereotypes  They aren’t smart  They can’t read  They can’t learn as well as others  They can’t see at all

Reality  They can actually be considered to be intelligent, they have the ability to learn.  They can read by using Braille writing.  They can learn just as well as others.  There are different kinds of blindness: -Color blindness -Ability to not be able to see close or far 

Ray Charles & Stevie Wonder were both visually impaired and they still had the ability to do great things.

Hearing Impaired

Definition: hard-of-hearing: having a hearing loss.

Stereotypes  They have no way of hearing  Their not as smart as other individuals  They can’t communicate  Their learning abilities are different from others

Reality  They have hearing aids to hear different sounds  They can learn just as well as any other individual  Hearing impaired people communicate by using sign language.  The way they learn is the same way any other person learns.

Hearing Impaired people communicate by using sign language.

Autism

Definition: A mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by having difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people.

Stereotypes  They can’t learn  They don’t learn as well as others  They can’t speak

Reality  They can learn they just learn more slower then others.  They can speak they just have speech problems.

Down Syndrome

Definition: A congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, causing intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities including short stature and a broad facial profile.

Stereotypes  They don’t have the ability to learn  They are not smart  They can’t speak

Reality  They can learn just as well as others individuals  They can be just as smart as any other human being.  They have speech problems but can speak

Wheelchair Bound

Definition: An inaccurate phrase used to refer to an individual in a wheelchair.

Stereotypes  They can never learn how to walk.  They always need help

Reality  The have rehabilitation where they can make their legs stronger so that they can walk.  They can maneuver just as well as others without any help.

Mental Retardation

Definition: A developmental disability that first appears in children under the age of 18.

Stereotypes  They are dumb  They can’t learn  They can’t speak

Reality  They are not dumb they just learn differently then others.  They can learn just at a slower pace.  They have speech problems but they can speak.