Sensory, Physical, & Medical Disabilities EXC 7770 Dr. Susan Brown Kennesaw State University

Limitations adaptive devices attendance fatigue functional limitations medication/treatment effects pain

Sensory Impairments Visual Impairment Hearing Impairment

Prelingual deafness  onset before language development Postlingual deafness  onset after language development Conductive loss  air or bone conduction disruption Sensory loss  interference in inner ear or neural pathways Cochlea  primary organ of hearing  connects inner ear pathways to brain pathways

Levels of hearing loss Hard of hearing  decibel loss  Educationally - can learn language through hearing Deaf  greater than 70 decibel loss  Educationally - cannot learn language through hearing

Visual Impairment Visual functioning  use of residual vision Low vision  significant visual impairment but usable vision Partially sighted  20/ /200 vision  Educationally - requires large print

Visual Impairments Blind  20/200 or less vision  20 degrees or less field of vision  Educationally - requires Braille

Developmental maturation Cephalo-caudal (head to tail) Proximal-to-distal (central to peripheral) Gross-to-fine Physiological flexion (general bending at joints) to antigravity control Stability to mobility to skilled movement (Heller, Alberto, Forney & Schwartzman, 1996 )

Physical Impairments Muscular  Muscular dystrophy  Muscular sclerosis Skeletal  Arthritis  Osteogenesis  Scoliosis

Health Impairments Abuse Aids Allergies Asthma Cancer Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes Hemophilia Hepatitis Sickle Cell Anemia

Congenital and Acquired Impairments Amputation/missing limbs Eating disorders Heart disorder Respiratory disorders

Neurological Seizures Spina Bifida Traumatic Brain Injury