Physical Impairment ~ Dallan

Physical Impairment (IP)

~ There is limitations to physical movements, basic motor skills, independent movement, and limitations is simple life functions.

Partial or total paralysis or traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, amputation, and carpal tunnel syndrome are examples of physical impairments.

PI is defined in two conditions. The two conditions are musculoskeletal conditions and neurological conditions.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

~involving the joints, limbs and associated muscles

Neurological Conditions

~involving the central nervous system i.e. brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves which affect the ability to move or to coordinate the control movement.

As a result of IP, a person may experience cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, osteogenesis imperfecta, congenital malformation of the limbs, some acquired brain injuries, some orthopaedic conditions.

Physical Impairments can result before birth or later in a person's life as a result of an accident.

http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/generalinfo/physical/pi2.html

Neurological Impaiment ~ Dallan

Neurological Impairment

~This has to do primarily with the central nervous system: brain and spinal cord.

~Those who suffer with this disorder may experience speech problems, motor skills, vision, memory, muscle actions, and learning abilities.

Neurological impairments are categorized into three major types:

1. Childhood Aphasia that causes speech and language problems

2. Minimal Brain Dysfunction that affects learning and behavioral abilities

3. Learning Disability that affects understanding or the ability to process

language.

Examples of Neurological Impairment's include: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Tourette’s Syndrome.

Cerebral Palsy

~A group of disorders involving movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking that occur due to problems with brain development.

~Symptoms are usually seen before the age of 2.

~ Symptoms may include: Abnormal movements,Abnormal sensations, Abnormal muscle tone, Decreased intelligence, Difficulty sucking or feeding in infants, Hearing problems, Increased drooling, Irregular breathing, Learning disabilities, Limited range of motion, Pain Partial or full loss of movement (paralysis), Peg teeth Problems swallowing (at all ages), Seizures, Speech problems (dysarthria), Urinary incontinence, Vision problems, Vomiting or constipation

~Treatment: There is no known cure for cerebral palsy

Epilepsy

~A brain disorder involving repeated, spontaneous seizures of any type.

~Symptoms are: continuous starring, loss of consciousness, violent convulsions

~Treatment: There is only treatment for seizures. Medication can help prevent future seizures.

Mutliple Sclerosis

~A disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

~Smptoms are:

Muscle symptoms:
Loss of balance , Numbness or abnormal sensation in any area, Pain because of muscle spasms, Pain in the arms or legs, Problems moving arms or legs, Problems walking,Problems with coordination and making small movements, Slurred or difficult-to-understand speech, Tremor in one or more arms or legs, Uncontrollable spasm of muscle groups (muscle spasticity), Weakness in one or more arms or legs

Eye symptoms:

Double vision, Eye discomfort, Uncontrollable rapid eye movements, Vision loss

http://www.kidneeds.com/diagnostic_categories/neurological.htm

Communication Impairment - Paul

Paul Kowalski

Portfolio Module

Communication Impairment -

There are really no big important laws regarding communication impairment other than any of the ones which have to do with all forms of special education such as IDEA and Section 504.

Communication disorders exist which include communication, language, and speech disorders.

Communication disorders: the individual cannot send, receive, and process information. The ability to process information means that the student cannot interpret what they see and put things together. That affects work in the classroom.

Language Disorder refers to a student who cannot use/understand spoken words or written words.

Speech Disorders refer to problems with articulation, and fluency and voice.

(229-231)

Strategies: Build lessons around child's background knowledge. Provide written copies of directions on assignments. Teach self-study skills. Encourage students to ask questions. Model correctly language forms, etc.

ASHA is an example of a national organization that provides assistance to people who have communication impairments. ASHA stands for American Speech and Hearing Association. This was formed all the way back in 1925 and it has been trying to correct speech patterns and enhance communication since then.

Autism - Paul

Paul Kowalski
Portfolio Model Assignment

Autism –
The Combating Autism Act of 2006 authorizes establishment of regional centers of excellence for autism spectrum disorders research, authorizes activities to increase public awareness of autism, to improve the ability of health care providers to use evidence-based interventions, and to increase early screening for autism, and it also calls on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to enhance information sharing. (p. 281)
Autism is defined as a variety of related disorders that affect a child’s social development and ability to communicate. Autism is described by the federal government as, “A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before age 3.” (p.252) Autism consists of Asperger’s Syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), and childhood disintegrative disorders.
Asperger’s Syndrome: even though they may be good at school and actually more intelligent than other students, they are far behind in social development. They also may not have very good motor skills and are usually not very athletic.
Pervasive Disintegrative Disorders: they also lack social intervention, but also lack the ability to communicate to the best of their ability which includes being able to make up stories and they sometimes use repetitive words. And they also show repetitive actions and behaviors such as rocking or spinning and they may need everything to be in order and have certain routines and rituals.
PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorders- not otherwise specified. This refers to the form of Autism which also shows a social disorder and a lack of social intervention. The difference between this and other forms of Autism is that PDD-NOS does not include full symptoms of autism that is common in most autistic people.

A strategy to follow so that students with autism can fit into a normal classroom, the student should attain a functional communication system. Also basic social skills should be taught at a younger age so they can be practiced and perfected as much as possible.

An example of a agency taht provides assistance to individuals with autism is LEAP. This exists nationwide and it teaches students with autism how to interact in their environments using other students as well as individual one-on-one with teachers and students.

Kirk S. , Gallagher J.J. , Coleman M.R. , & Anastasiow N. (2009).Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed.). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Developmental Delay & Emotional Impairment

Jessica Batchelor
Portfolio Module Assignment

Developmental delay-online resource Developmental Delay
Developmental delay is one of thirteen legal categories which are known as exceptional. The categories a child with disabilities may be placed are outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; also known as IDEA 2004. Developmental delay consists of “significantly limited, impaired, or delayed learning capacity of a young child (3-9 years old), exhibited by difficulties in one or more of the following areas: receptive and/or expressive language cognitive abilities; physical functioning; social, emotional, or adaptive functioning; and/or self-help skills” (Kirk et. al., pg 7).

Developmental delays can be present in five domains/areas
1. Cognitive
2. Communicative
3. Social-emotional
4. Motor
5. Adaptive

To determine if a child is delayed developmentally, children are compared to the “normal” or “average” developmental milestones of the same-age children. Some risk factors for developmental delay are: low birth weight, premature birth, serious medical complications/conditions, and environmental stressors (Kirk et. al., pg 89).
Genetic-related causes of developmental delay and autism are being discovered and researched. Prenatal care is very important. It educates expecting parents concerning dangers of certain drugs, activities, and diseases which may negatively affect their baby. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the effects of other drugs can contribute to behavior and developmental disorders (Kirk et. al., pg 88).

Environmental Risks and Stressors-
The main risks and stressors of developmental delay are poverty and child abuse. Poverty may cause a child to live in poor housing or they may have insufficient medical care. Nutrition is very important for a developing child and a child living in poverty may have inadequate nutrition. When finances are an issue, it can provide extra stress on a family causing tension and potentially insufficient care. If home life is stressed a child is more likely to be abused or blamed for circumstances beyond their control. Developmental delays and other disabilities may cause parents to become stressed over their child’s conditions. Parents may feel as though they can do nothing to help their child.

Child Find is a network which helps to find children who may need early intervention. Child Find is part of IDEA 2004. Most Child Find programs include the following components: definition of target population, public awareness campaigns, referral and intake processes, screening and identification procedures, eligibility determined criteria, tracking and monitoring services, and interagency coordination. If the child is eligible for early intervention, the child will be evaluated. This evaluation must be conducted in the child’s primary language. The goal of early intervention is to help the child before they lag behind, specifically before age two. Early intervention is helpful because it assists to maximize early development and to prevent future difficulties. In this area, there is an early intervention program. Niagara County Early Intervention. This is a service for children who show signs that they may be behind developmentally. Niagara County Department of Health also mandates certain resources for children and adults with special needs. Page 5-Children and Adults with Special Needs
Children with developmental delays may have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). There are many people involved in the IEP. They include: the parent/guardian, audiologist, ophthalmologist, early childhood special educator, physician, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, psychologist, social worker, and speech language pathologist (Kirk et. al., pg 93). All of these people have intertwining and overlapping roles and have the potential to make a great difference in a child’s life.

Some of the tools used to help children with developmental delay are practicing skills in small groups, having a specific daily routine, report on progress, content specific instruction, peer support, modeling and scaffolding, physical assistance, and learning through play (Kirk et. al., pg 96). Another strategy I found interesting was Rhythmic Movement Training. The goal of Rhythmic Movement Training is movement instead of medication. Rhythmic Movement Training establishes links from the brainstem to higher brain centers, Establishes links from the brainstem and cerebellum to higher brain centers for impulse control, thinking, and emotional balance, increases sensory input, increases coordination, and increases attention. Because it is movement, like dance, it is uplifting and enhances a good mood. It effects the brain and the body.
Emotional Impairments-
An emotional impairment is legally defined as, “One or more of the following characteristics exhibited over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance: an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems” (Kirk et. al., pg 7). Emotional impairments are not easy to define. Children with emotional impairments are not distinguished by the type of behavior they exhibit but by their emotions and the intensity and duration of their behavior. An example of this would be a child who weeps or sobs multiple times per day without apparent cause. This could happen regularly (Kirk et. al., pg 196). These children can be anxious or withdrawn and in this, a threat to themselves. They may also be rigid and unable to be spontaneous.

Risk Factors-
-Parents with similar problems
-Stressful home life, they are helpless and cannot get out or improve it
-Feeling unwanted or abused
-Inability to understand their circumstances
-Not shown praise or love (contributes to low self-esteem)
Suicide is linked to emotional impairment and children who abuse substances.
“Learned helplessness in children is the belief that nothing they do can stop bad things from happening…These children often have such low self-concepts that failure in a school task or a social setting only confirms for them their worthlessness and helplessness in the face of an unfriendly environment” (Kirk et. al., pg 199). Because children with learned helplessness are pessimistic about themselves and their abilities, their performance is much less than they are capable of. There is a prevalence of minority and immigrant children who suffer from social and emotional disturbance. This could be because children can be unaware of what is acceptable in certain cultures.

The IEP/RTI Model for children with emotional impairments may consist of: self monitoring techniques, self instruction, self evaluation, self reinforcement, peer tutoring, and encouragement to stay in school. Computers are useful adaptive technology. Computers do not seem as though they “attack” a child personally if a child enters a wrong answer, as compared to a teacher. Computers also incorporate a fun aspect of learning.

The Council for Exceptional Children is constantly providing new resources and studies. On their website there are teacher's blogs and support for teachers. That is just a few of the useful resources this website has to offer.

Specific Learning Disability: Jerilyn

Specific Learning disability:

Disorder in one or more of the basic psychological process involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia

Disorders not included: Learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. (Page: 8)

*Although it is not mentioned in the definition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be considered a specific learning disability because it affects how an individual can perform a task. There is some controversy on whether or not ADHD should be considered a separate condition not a learning disability. (Page: 115)

The same information above is also listed as the definition of Specific Learning Disabilities under Section 602 of The U.S. Department of Education (2004) Children with Specific Learning Disabilities struggle to learn and often need extra support to help them succeed in school.

Identifying Specific Learning Disabilities:

1. “The assumption that a learning disability has a neurological basis is sound but it is hard for teachers to use ‘neurologic anomalies’ as evidence when they are trying to decide whether a student has a learning disability.” (Page: 108)

2. Monitoring and evaluating a student’s behavior and performance is used to determine the presence of a learning disability.

3. The RIT model is one option that schools can use to identify students with learning disabilities. (Page: 113)

IDea 2004: section 614 (page: 113)

(b) EVALUATION PROCEDURES.

(6) SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES.

(A) IN GENERAL. Notwithstanding section 607 (b0, . . . when determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as defined in section 602 (29), a local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has severe discrepancy between achievement an intellectual ability in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or mathematical reasoning, , ,

(B) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY. In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as a part of the evaluation procedures described in paragraphs (2) and (3). (IDEA, 2004)

causes of specific learning disabilities: There has not been a single cause of learning disabilities discovered yet. There have been some neurological differences and sensory deficits in different children with learning disabilities and there have been recent studies that have found difference in brain structures among students who have reading problems, attention deficits, and auditory processing difficulties. Some evidence indicates that some learning disabilities may even be genetic because these issues “run in the families.” (Page: 117)

Characteristic of specific learning disabilities: Each child with learning disabilities has his or her own unique structure. They vary in their academic, personal, and social characteristic. (Page: 109)

Instructional stratagies for specific learning disabilities: In the household there should be a constant schedule for daily routines (bedtime, wake-up times, dressing, leaving for school, meals, TV time, chores, etc.). Develop clear guidelines of expected behavior (teachers can also do this), make sure everything is organized, set out things the night before like clothes to prevent confusion and tough decision making in the morning. Monitor TV time, computer time, Internet time, and programs viewed. Always communicate love and support when the child is doing what you’ve asked. (Page: 139) Those with specific learning disabilities are often given more time for test and work in schools. They are also allowed to take their tests in private to avoid distraction from their peers. There is also medication available for individuals with ADHD although not every child needs to take it.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES: There are programs out there designed to help in changing the situation in the education system in terms of aiding students with learning disabilities. The group CHADD is designed to help improve the learning environment for children with ADHD.

Kirk S. , Gallagher J.J. , Coleman M.R. , & Anastasiow N. (2009).Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed.). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Sensory Impairment: Jerilyn

Sensory Impairment:

1. Hearing. Limitation, impairment, or absence of the capacity to hear with amplification, resulting in one or more of the following: reduced performance in hearing acuity tasks, difficulty with oral communication, and/or difficulty in understanding auditorally presented information in the education environment. The term includes students who are deaf and students who are hard hearing. (Page: 7)

2. Vision. Limitation, impairment, or absence of capacity to see after correction, resulting in one or more of the following: reduced performance in visual acuity tasks, difficulty with written communication, and/or difficulty with understanding information presented visually in the education environment. The term includes students who are blind and students with limited vision. (Page: 8)

3. Deafblind. Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs. (Page: 8)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) defines deafness as a hearing impairment that is severe enough that the child cannot process linguistic information through hearing, even when using amplification or hearing aids. This hearing loss adversely affects the child’s educational performance. (Page: 329)

Hearing Loss Is Defined By:

1. The Degree of Loss

2. The Type of Loss

3. The Age at which the Loss Occurred

The severity is determined by the individual’s reception of sound as measured in decibels. The severity is classified as slight, mild to moderate, severe to profound more commonly known as deafness. (Page: 329)

Genetic Causes of Hearing Loss: In more than half of the incidents of congenital hearing losses (loss present at birth) are results of genetic factors. Genetically hearing loss can be inherited from either a non-hearing parent or a hearing parent. Children with other genetically related disabilities, such as Down syndrome, may also have hearing problems. Teachers should also be aware that children who have previously had a normal range of hearing can acquire hearing loss because children with genetic hearing loss can appear months or years later. (Page: 335)

ENVIRONMENTAL causes of hearing loss: Environmental causes include exposure to bacteria, viruses, toxins, trauma, and also due to an infection during the course of pregnancy or in the birth process. During pregnancy an illness or infection a mother might have could cause hearing loss, for example uncontrolled diabetes could cause hearing loss. A lack of oxygen during birth could also result in hearing loss, also a low birth weight could end up resulting in hearing loss. A common cause of loss of hearing in preschool aged children is a result from an ear infection caused otitis media.

characteristics of hearing loss: The first sings of identifying children with hearing loss is when they are a infant. Infants typically make noises that will resemble words whether they can hear or not. At around 12 months a child without a hearing impairment will begin forming words, a child with hearing loss will not. A child with hearing loss will soon start to develop hand motions to describe their needs and parents who also have hearing loss will recognize this right away and begin to teach them sign language, parents who don’t have hearing loss may take a little bit longer to discover what the issue is. This causes a delay in a child’s language development. (Page: 338) Hearing loss will not impact a child’s overall cognitive abilities, but will slow the process. (Page: 341) Reading levels of children who are deaf or hard of hearing tend to be substantially lower then other children but efforts have been made to closing this gap. (Page: 342)

Visual Impairment is Defined By:

1. Blind- cannot use vision for learning but still can be responsive to light and darkness and may have some visual imagery.

2. Low Vision- have difficulty accomplishing visual tasks, but they can learn through the visual sense by the use of various special technologies and teaching techniques.

Causes of visual impairments: there are a variety of conditions that can cause visual impairments from birth to age. Some include hereditary conditions, infectious diseases, cancers, injuries, and various environmental conditions. The most common infectious disease that causes visual impairment is rubella (German measles) contracted during pregnancy. (Rubella also causes other serious birth defects.) Another major cause of visual impairment is called retinopathy of prematurity, which is widely believed to be cause by over admission of oxygen to premature infants in an attempt to save their life. (Page: 365)

Characteristics of children with visual impairments: Children with visual impairments make up a very small percentage of the school population, about four children for every ten thousand students. It is hard to cluster all these students together in one school although there are schools available so has been an increase in effort to provide them with an education within local schools. (Page: 363) Children with visual impairments develop at a slower pace then children without disabilities. A visual impairment hinders a child’s cognitive development as well as their language development. Since these children are without sight they rely on their other senses to identify people, objects, and to regulate motor and social behaviors. (Page: 368)

instructional stratigies for sensory impairment: Assistive technologies are needed for children with sensory impairments. Hearing aids help amplify sounds so those with hearing impairments are able to understand the sounds around them. Sign language is another important strategy for students with hearing impairments. It allows them to communicate since sometimes due to their hearing impairment their speech is difficult to understand. Sign language allows for further communication. In some schools an aid is provided that can translate the lesson at hand into sign language for the child with the hearing impairment. Computers and word processors are helpful for those with hearing impairments because they can read to understand what is going on, also closed captioning on television allows for those with hearing impairments to also understand what is going on. Those who are visually impaired have the ability to express their opinions through speech however since they are not able to see reading is obviously difficult. Braille is used for those who are visually impaired to read. Braille is raised bumps on paper that form letters and words. There are devices that allow students to type and print in Braille and also computers that read back information to the students. For those whose visual impairment is not as severe there are magnifiers and eyeglasses that enlarge text so it can be viewed.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR SENSORY IMPAIRMENT: The Deaf Community exists as a separate culture group within our society. The Deaf Community has state and local networks, holds world games for the deaf and a Deaf Miss America Pageant. (Page: 345) One of the most outstanding community programs for individuals with special needs is the Special Olympics. They allow for community involvement to help students learn and compete in different activities.

Kirk S. , Gallagher J.J. , Coleman M.R. , & Anastasiow N. (2009).Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed.). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

How Our Group Communicated

our group chose to use the popular website facebook as a way to communicate with each other to work out ideas for our project. we were all comfortable with facebook and we all basically could not stand blackboard anymore and were not about to sit and attempt to figure out how on earth to communicate that way. our plan was to each pick words and do as the project assigned us to do and put it all together on a SEPARATE blog since we're all pro bloggers now.