1. Chapter 12
Understanding Students with Physical Disabilities and Other Health Impairments

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. 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

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

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