Janelle Baguley

Chelsea Ellis

Disability Presentation

Deaf-Blindness

Legal Definition- Simultaneous hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such

severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be

accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with

blindness.

Causes-

Illness

Accident

Genetic syndrome like Usher Syndrome

Premature birth

Meningitis

Post-natal complications

Characteristics-

Auditory impairment and visual impairment with vision loss being the primary disability Auditory impairment and vision impairment with auditory impairment as the primary disability Auditory impairment and blindness; deafness and visual impairment, and deaf-blindness Congenitally Deaf-Adventitiously Blind Congenitally Deaf-Blind Adventitiously Deaf-Blind Adventitiously Deaf-Congenitally Blind

Degrees

Hard of Hearing-Blind Hard of Hearing-Visually Impaired Deaf-Visually Impaired Deaf-Blind

Challenges

Dependent on others

Communication

Navigating surroundings

Finding social, living, and employment situations

Reaction from others because of differences

Learning Strategies-

Talk with student (where possible) to see what resources they require. Assisted Listening Devices- Small device worn by instructor that increases volume and clarity of

lecture. Interpreter Note takers Tutors Readers Handouts that are converted into students preferred reading style (i.e. braille) Large Print/Braille Materials or Taped Textbooks Reading Machines Audiovisual Materials Oral tests, extended test time, reading machine, better lighting and possibly test converted to

braille

Additional Resources

http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/deafblindness http://www.nationaldb.org/ISSelectedTopics.php?topicID=941&topicCatID=24 http://www.hknc.org/ http://www.aadb.org/ http://wwwcms.hutchcc.edu/uploadedFiles/Student_Resources/Disability_Services/tpshtdb.pdf

http://www.usdb.org/deafblind/default.aspx http://www.deafblindinfo.org/ http://www.utahbabywatch.org/index.htm

Specific Learning Disabilities By: Caitlin and Vanessa

Definition: disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding

or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the 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. If

the student does not achieve at the proper age and ability levels in one or more of several specific areas

when provided with appropriate learning experiences age-appropriate instruction in one of more of the

following areas:

Oral expression

Listening comprehension

Written expression

Basic reading skill

Reading fluency skills

Reading comprehension

Mathematics calculations

Mathematics reasoning

Does not make adequate progress to meet age or grade-level standards in one or more of the prior

areas identified when utilizing the process of the child’s response to empirically based interventions; or

a pattern of weaknesses and strengths that have been determined to exist in performance, achievement

or both, relative to age, state-approved grade-level standards, or intellectual development, as

determined by certified assessment professionals. Specific learning disabilities are considered a high-

incidence disability. The U.S. Department of Education reports that there are over 2.8 million students

being served for specific learning disabilities and that’s approximately 47.4% of all children receiving

special education.

Characteristics:

Intellectual

Academic

Reading

Writing and drawing

Arithmetic

Behavior

Communicative abilities

Physical

Teaching Strategies

Perceptual Difficulties

Do not present two pieces of information together that may be perceptually confusing.

Highlight important characteristics of new material

Students with Attention Difficulties

Maintain attention by breaking long tasks and presenting limited amounts of information.

Use prompts and cues to draw attention to important information. (like highlighting instructions)

Students with Memory Difficulties

Chunking- grouping of large strings of information into smaller or more manageable “chunks”.

Rehearsal or repetition, either oral or silent

Elaboration weaving of the material to be remembered into a meaningful content.

Categorization- being able to memorize information in categories. Ex. Animals

RESOURCES

www.interdys.org

Gives information about dyslexia, October is national dyslexia awareness month.

http://www.projectidealonline.org/specificLearningDisabilities.php

Gives helpful information, not for just one disability, but for several disabilities.

http://www.ldaamerica.org

Want to create opportunities for success for all children with learning disabilities.

http://www.ncld.org

Gives basic information and resources for schools.

Bruce Abe

David Squires

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT INCLUDING BLINDNESS

Definition According to IDEA - Sec. 300.8 (c) (13) Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. An fyi from our text book, Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers (Friend & Bursuck, 2012) explains that the term legal blindness means the vision in the best eye, with correction, is 20/200 or lower (what a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet can only be seen at 20 feet), or the visual field is 20 degrees or less (the person sees a small slice of what others can see).

Characteristics According to NICHCY, common signs that a child may have a visual impairment include the following:

Eyes that don’t move together when following an object or a face

Crossed eyes, eyes that turn out or in, eyes that flutter from side to side or up and down, or eyes

that do not seem to focus

Eyes that bulge, dance, or bounce in rapid rhythmic movements

Pupils that are unequal in size or that appear white instead of black

Repeated shutting or covering of one eye

Unusual degree of clumsiness, such as frequent bumping into things or knocking things over

Frequent squinting, blinking, eye-rubbing, or face crunching, especially when there’s no bright

light present

Sitting too close to the TV or holding toys and books too close to the face

Avoiding tasks and activities that require good vision

If any of these symptoms are present, parents will want to have their child’s eyes professionally

examined. Early detection and treatment are very important to the child’s development.

Types of Visual Impairment

Not all visual impairments are the same, although the umbrella term “visual impairment” is often used

to describe an eye condition or disorder. Common visual impairments you are likely familiar with are

near-sightedness and far-sightedness. Less familiar visual impairments include:

Strabismus, where the eyes look in different directions and do not focus simultaneously on a

single point;

Congenital cataracts, where the lens of the eye is cloudy;

Retinopathy of prematurity, which may occur in premature babies when the light-sensitive retina

hasn’t developed sufficiently before birth;

Retinitis pigmentosa, a rare inherited disease that slowly destroys the retina;

Coloboma, where a portion of the structure of the eye is missing;

Optic nerve hypoplasia, which is caused by underdeveloped fibers in the optic nerve and which

affects depth perception, sensitivity to light, and acuity of vision; and

Cortical visual impairment (CVI), which is caused by damage to the part of the brain related to

vision, not to the eyes themselves.

Teaching Strategies

Encourage independence: it is often difficult for these students to become as fully independent as they

are capable of being. The classroom teacher should encourage independence as often as possible to

avoid the trap of “learned helplessness.” Encourage the student to move independently through the

classroom, and organize your classroom accordingly.

Communicate: with the student, with the students’ parents, with special educators, the O & M

specialist, and other teachers who have more experience than you.

Learn about the student’s specific visual impairment: what aspects of vision are affected, and how does

that affect the student’s ability to move around the classroom, see the board, or read a textbook.

Students and parents can be good sources of information.

Adapting your classroom: account for the student’s specific visual impairment. Place a student with

low vision near the front of the room where he or she can see the blackboard. Control lighting variables

when presenting learning materials to those students who are sensitive to light and glare. Make safe

lanes to walk through, and keep cupboard doors closed.

Verbal cues: for those students who cannot see body movements or physical cues, verbal cues are

necessary.

Textbooks and instructional materials: students need access to materials in the appropriate media and

at the same time as their peers. For students who are blind this may mean braille and/or recorded

media. For the student with low vision, this may mean large print text or the use of optical devices to

access text and/or recorded media while in class.

Use the IEP: it serves as a guide for what the student’s goals are, and what accommodations are

appropriate.

Other Resources

Definition:

http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cregs%2C300%2CA%2C300%252E8%2Cc%2C13%2C

Characteristics:

http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/visualimpairment

American Academy of Pediatrics lists types of health issues affecting eyes.

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/eyes/pages/Specific-Eye-

Problems.aspx

Learning Strategies:

http://www.projectidealonline.org/visualImpairments.php

Eye visual, National Eye Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health.

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/eyediagram/index.asp

Advocacy group:

Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired supports educators with

professional development, publications, and advocacy.

http://www.aerbvi.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1

Created by AFB so that families of blind people can connect with each other.

http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp

What are the issues you face when setting up your classroom?

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/v01_clearview/chalcycle.htm

Instruction materials:

Printing house for the blind

http://www.aph.org/

Accessible Instruction Materials

http://aim.cast.org/

Educators guide to getting accessible textbooks.

http://aim.cast.org/learn/aim4families/school/accessible_textbooks

SPEECH and LANGUAGE

IMPAIRMENT

Definition

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->There are many kinds of speech and language disorders that

can affect children. In this fact sheet, we’ll talk about four major areas in which these impairments

occur. These are the areas of:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->Articulation | speech impairments where the child

produces sounds incorrectly (e.g., lisp, difficulty articulating certain sounds, such as “l” or

“r”);

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->Fluency | speech impairments where a child’s flow of

speech is disrupted by sounds, syllables, and words that are repeated, prolonged, or

avoided and where there may be silent blocks or inappropriate inhalation, exhalation, or

phonation patterns;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->Voice | speech impairments where the child’s voice has

an abnormal quality to its pitch, resonance, or loudness; and

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->Language | language impairments where the child has

problems expressing needs, ideas, or information, and/or in understanding what others say.

(1)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Specific words in IDEA

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]--> “(11) Speech or language impairment means a

communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment,

or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR

§300.8(c)(11]

Characteristics

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->A child's communication is considered delayed when the

child is noticeably behind his or her peers in the acquisition of speech and/or language skills. Speech

disorders refer to difficulties producing speech sounds or problems with voice quality.

Characteristics may include:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech such as

stuttering (known as dysfluency);

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->trouble forming sounds (called articulation or

phonological disorders);

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->difficulties with the pitch, volume, or quality of the voice;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->trouble using some speech sounds, such as saying "see"

when they mean "ski."

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->A language disorder is an impairment in the ability to

understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and nonverbally. Characteristics include:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->improper use of words and their meanings;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->inability to express ideas;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->inappropriate grammatical patterns;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]-->reduced vocabulary and inability to follow directions

Strategies

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Patience, patience, patience

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Accepting and accommodating an individual’s speech and

individual instruction

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Encourage the student to participate in classroom activities,

giving her adequate time to speak.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Create an environment of acceptance and understanding in the

classroom, and encourage peers to accept the student with speech impairment

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Practice and maintain easy and effective communication skills:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]--> model good listening skills,

<!--[if !supportLists]-->o <!--[endif]--> facilitate participate of all students in discussion and

activites

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Speak to the student as you would with any other student.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Do not interrupt or try to complete her thoughts. Ask her to

repeat her message when necessary; do not feign understanding.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->When introducing new vocabulary, help the student practice

difficult words. Dividing words into syllables and pronouncing each syllable will improve speech, reading

and writing.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Using many different listening activities will also aid the student

in comprehending and determining her own production of sounds.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->Have the student answer “yes” or “no.”

Resources

Definitions

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,regs,300,A,300%252E8,

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/speechlanguage

Characteristics

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/MCSSped/speechlang.htm

Strategies

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->www.ataccess.org

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->www.asha.org

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->www.projectidealonline.org

<!--[if !supportLists]-->•&νβσπ;<!--[endif]-->http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-education/

Christopher Baer, Laura Varela, Perrine Voisin