1. UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE, MENTAL RETARDATION, AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
Chapter 3

2. Chapter objectives
Describe some of the causes of emotional disturbance and the characteristics of students who receive special education services under this eligibility term.

3. Chapter objectives continued
Describe some of the causes of mental retardation and the characteristics of students who receive special education services under this eligibility term.

4. Chapter objectives continued
Describe some of the causes of autism spectrum disorders and the characteristics of students who receive special education services under this eligibility category.

5. Students with emotional disturbance
Causes
Biological factors
Educational conditions
Economic conditions
Familial factors
Learning factors
Psychological factors
Societal conditions

6. Characteristics of emotional disorders
Early signs
Frequent crying or sulking
Actively resisting by physically or verbally defending a position (or possessions)
Displaying aggressive revenge
Seeking out an adult for comfort

7. Characteristics of emotional disorders continued
School-age children and youth
Reading
Mathematics
Oral language
Content areas
Behavior

8. Students with mental retardation
Causes
Prenatal factors
Perinatal conditions
Postnatal factors
Environmental hazards

9. Characteristics of mental retardation
Early signs
Overall developmental delays in one or more of the following areas:
Physical
Cognitive
Communication
Social-emotional
Adaptive

10. Characteristics of mental retardation continued
School-age children and youth
Academic areas
Adaptive behavior
Emotional disorders
Motor coordination
Speech and communication
Attention and memory

11. Students with autism spectrum disorders
Causes: no single cause
Hereditary factors
Environmental factors
Findings in neuroscience

12. Characteristics of autism spectrum disorders
Early signs
Avoidance of eye contact
Lack of response to parent’s voice
Significant language delay
Fixation on a toy
Rocking or flapping movements

13. Characteristics of autism spectrum disorders continued
School-age children and youth
Social skills
Communication

14. No two students are alike…
Each student has unique
Skills
Knowledge
Abilities
Gifts— and
Needs.

15. Understanding characteristics of the learner…
Helps teachers
Build successful teaching and learning experiences—for ALL.