1. Disabilities Awareness Rosemary Hardy Sharon Manson

2. Person First Language Recognize the person first, not their disability. See them as an individual, not someone with a disability. “Kyle is a student with a hearing impairment.” “Julie is a student with developmental delays.”

3. Children with Disabilities Some disabilities may be more easily recognized... For example, Visually impaired Hearing Impaired Down’s Syndrome Physical Disabilities However, some disabilities are not always readily recognizable... ie. Epilepsy Learning Disabilities Emotionally Disturbed. These children may look like the typical student until they are unable to filter their environmental stimuli.

4. Handicap vs. Disabilities People are not “handicapped”... Handicaps are obstacles that hinder the person with a disability. Some disabilities addressed in schools may include: Autism Developmental Delay (age 9 and younger) Emotional Disturbance Learning Disability Mental Retardation Orthopedic Impairment Other Health Impairment Sensory Impairment (Vision/Hearing) Speech/Language Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury

5. The Emotionally Disturbed Child Children can have difficulties when they shift from one developmental stage to another, or find that academic and social challenges are just too much for them at a given point. Other children are disabled by a chemical imbalance in their brains that controls their behavior and undermines their ability to deal with their world, whatever it may be.

6. The Emotionally Disturbed Child “These children do not choose to be noncompliant, no more than a child would choose to have a reading disability--- but are delayed in the process of developing the skills that are critical to being flexible and tolerating frustration (or have significant difficulty applying these skills when they most need to.”—Ross Greene.

7. Show Empathy for the Emotionally Disturbed Child Realize that emotional disturbance is a disability, not a choice made by the student. Try to understand the needs of the child. Frequently, they are not able to express these productively. Create positive attitude toward child Focus on special gifts & talents Provide frequent encouragement & praise Don’t blame parents - develop empathy and compassion for parents’ dilemma

8. In Summary... All children do well, IF they can. If they can’t, they need us, and we are obligated to help them figure out better ways to do well as dictated by IDEA.