TLSE 456/7TLSE 456/7

Overview of DisabilitiesOverview of Disabilities

UnderUnder

IDEAIDEA

Learning DisabilitiesLearning Disabilities

IDEA DefinitionIDEA Definition

• “ “ a disorder in one a disorder in one or more of the basic or more of the basic psychological psychological processes involved processes involved in understanding or in understanding or in using language… in using language… (Psychological (Psychological processes are processes are memory, perception, memory, perception, attention, etc.)attention, etc.)

continuedcontinued

• that may manifest that may manifest itself in an itself in an imperfect ability to imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, read, write, spell, or do math or do math calculations…”calculations…”

DiscrepancyDiscrepancy

• Compare IQ level Compare IQ level on IQ test with on IQ test with achievement test achievement test scores (historically)scores (historically)

• New approach: RTI New approach: RTI (responsiveness to (responsiveness to intervention) (IDEA, intervention) (IDEA, 2004)2004)

Some CharacteristicsSome Characteristics• Difficulty in Difficulty in

understanding and understanding and following directionsfollowing directions

• Short attention spanShort attention span

• Difficulty with Difficulty with handwriting and fine handwriting and fine motor skillsmotor skills

• Visual or auditory Visual or auditory memorymemory

• Memorizing words or Memorizing words or basic math factsbasic math facts

• Difficulty allocating time Difficulty allocating time and organizing workand organizing work

Some CharacteristicsSome Characteristics• Difficulty in understanding Difficulty in understanding

and following directionsand following directions

• Short attention spanShort attention span

• Difficulty with handwriting Difficulty with handwriting and fine motor skillsand fine motor skills

• Visual or auditory memoryVisual or auditory memory

• Memorizing words or Memorizing words or basic math factsbasic math facts

• Difficulty allocating time Difficulty allocating time and organizing workand organizing work

Communication DisordersCommunication Disorders

Communication DisordersCommunication Disorders

involvesinvolves

SpeechSpeechLanguageLanguage

Speech DisorderSpeech Disorder

• Difficulty producing Difficulty producing sounds as well as sounds as well as distortions in voice distortions in voice quality or fluency quality or fluency of speechof speech

Language DisorderLanguage Disorder

•Difficulty Difficulty receiving, receiving, understanding, understanding, and and formulating formulating ideas and ideas and informationinformation

Speech Language Speech Language PathologistsPathologists

• Assesses speech Assesses speech and languageand language

• Provides therapyProvides therapy

• Act as Act as consultant to consultant to othersothers

• Monitor progressMonitor progress

Mental RetardationMental Retardation

IDEAIDEA

• ““Significantly sub-average Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning existing with intellectual functioning existing with deficits in adaptive behavior and deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental manifested during the developmental period (before 18”…period (before 18”…

Mental FunctioningMental Functioning

• MildMild IQ 50 – 70 or 75IQ 50 – 70 or 75

• ModerateModerate IQ 35 – 49IQ 35 – 49

• SevereSevere IQ 20 – 34IQ 20 – 34

• ProfoundProfoundIQ <20IQ <20

Adaptive BehaviorAdaptive Behavior

• Skills learned by Skills learned by people in order to people in order to function in function in everyday lifeeveryday life

Traumatic Brain InjuryTraumatic Brain Injury(TBI)(TBI)

TBI – IDEA DefinitionTBI – IDEA Definition

•““Acquired injury to the brain Acquired injury to the brain caused by an external force caused by an external force that adversely affects a child’s that adversely affects a child’s educational performance and educational performance and results in partial functional results in partial functional disability, psychosocial disability, psychosocial impairment or both….”impairment or both….”

TBI can be due to…..TBI can be due to…..

•Closed InjuryClosed Injury

•Open InjuryOpen Injury

Areas Typically AffectedAreas Typically Affected

• CognitionCognition

• LanguageLanguage

• MemoryMemory

• AttentionAttention

• ReasoningReasoning

• Abstract ThinkingAbstract Thinking

• JudgmentJudgment

• Information ProcessingInformation Processing

• SpeechSpeech

Possible Physical ChangesPossible Physical Changes

• Nothing to seriousNothing to serious

• 20% - Seizures; often subside20% - Seizures; often subside

• Spasticity or paralysisSpasticity or paralysis

• Coordination problemsCoordination problems

• Physical weaknessPhysical weakness

• FatigueFatigue

• Some strength resumes as brain healsSome strength resumes as brain heals

Physical Changes Physical Changes continuedcontinued

•HeadachesHeadaches

•Visual/hearing Visual/hearing issuesissues

•Changes in Changes in sensessenses

Possible Cognitive ChangesPossible Cognitive Changes

•ComprehensionComprehension

•Problem solvingProblem solving

•ConcentrationConcentration

•Long and short term memoryLong and short term memory

• Information processingInformation processing

•Poor judgmentPoor judgment

Possible Linguistic ChangesPossible Linguistic Changes

•Receptive languageReceptive language

•Written languageWritten language

•Aphasia (inability to use language Aphasia (inability to use language appropriately)appropriately)

•Word finding issuesWord finding issues

•Most speech and expression skills Most speech and expression skills are regainedare regained

Possible Social, Behavioral, and Possible Social, Behavioral, and Personality ChangesPersonality Changes

•Temper outburstsTemper outbursts

•EuphoriaEuphoria

•RestlessnessRestlessness

•AnxietyAnxiety

• IrritabilityIrritability

•15-25% struggle with depression15-25% struggle with depression

•Poor self-monitoring skillsPoor self-monitoring skills

Very Low Incidence Very Low Incidence DisabilitiesDisabilities

•Multiple-Severe Multiple-Severe disabilitiesdisabilities

•Deaf blindnessDeaf blindness

Multiple - SevereMultiple - Severe

•Often cognitive, sensory, and Often cognitive, sensory, and physical disabilitiesphysical disabilities

•Focus on functional skillsFocus on functional skills

•Require supports throughout life, Require supports throughout life, usuallyusually

•Group homesGroup homes

•Living longerLiving longer

Deaf blindnessDeaf blindness

•Often some residual hearing or Often some residual hearing or visionvision

•Need considerable supportsNeed considerable supports

•Often have additional disabilitiesOften have additional disabilities

•Less frequently in general educationLess frequently in general education

•Communication and functional skillsCommunication and functional skills

Physical or Orthopedic Physical or Orthopedic ImpairmentsImpairments

•AmputationAmputation

•Cerebral Cerebral PalsyPalsy

•Juvenile Juvenile ArthritisArthritis

•Muscular Dystrophy

•Spina Bifida

•Spinal Chord Injury

Orthopedic Impairments Orthopedic Impairments (IDEA)(IDEA)

• Also called physical impairments or Also called physical impairments or physical disabilitiesphysical disabilities

• IDEA definition emphasizes causesIDEA definition emphasizes causes– Congenital (born)Congenital (born)– Disease (TB)Disease (TB)– Other causes (CP, amputations, burns)Other causes (CP, amputations, burns)

Physical ImpairmentsPhysical Impairments

• Neuromotor Impairments (cause is Neuromotor Impairments (cause is CNS-brain and spinal cord)CNS-brain and spinal cord)

• Muscular/Skeletal conditions (cause Muscular/Skeletal conditions (cause not neurological)not neurological)

Neuromotor ImpairmentsNeuromotor Impairments

• CP – Cerebral PalsyCP – Cerebral Palsy

• MS – Multiple SclerosisMS – Multiple Sclerosis

• MD – Muscular DystrophyMD – Muscular Dystrophy

• Seizure disorders – (i.e., epilepsy)Seizure disorders – (i.e., epilepsy)

• Spinal cord disorders – (i.e., spina Spinal cord disorders – (i.e., spina bifida)bifida)

Visual ImpairmentsVisual Impairments

Definitions of Visual Definitions of Visual ImpairmentsImpairments

• Visual Impairments Visual Impairments - vision cannot be primary learning - vision cannot be primary learning

channelchannel• Partially Sighted Partially Sighted

-some useful vision – person may see -some useful vision – person may see colors colors and figures with blurringand figures with blurring

-vision between 20/70 and 20/200-vision between 20/70 and 20/200• Legal definition: any of the followingLegal definition: any of the following

-only reads first E with both eyes-only reads first E with both eyes-20/200 vision with glasses-20/200 vision with glasses-tunnel vision (less than 20 degrees)-tunnel vision (less than 20 degrees)

Definitions ContinuedDefinitions Continued• IDEAIDEA-an impairment in vision that -an impairment in vision that

even with corrections, even with corrections, adversely adversely affects educational performanceaffects educational performance..– Functionally blind-uses Braille but has Functionally blind-uses Braille but has

vision for environmental tasks.vision for environmental tasks.– Low vision-can read with magnification Low vision-can read with magnification

or environmental modificationor environmental modification– Totally blind-must use tactual and Totally blind-must use tactual and

auditory learning, no meaningful input auditory learning, no meaningful input through vision.through vision.

Definitions ContinuedDefinitions Continued• IDEAIDEA-an impairment in vision that -an impairment in vision that

even with corrections, even with corrections, adversely adversely affects educational performanceaffects educational performance..– Functionally blind-uses Braille but has Functionally blind-uses Braille but has

vision for environmental tasks.vision for environmental tasks.– Low vision-can read with magnification Low vision-can read with magnification

or environmental modificationor environmental modification– Totally blind-must use tactual and Totally blind-must use tactual and

auditory learning, no meaningful input auditory learning, no meaningful input through vision.through vision.

• Insistence on Insistence on sameness; resistance to sameness; resistance to changechange

• Difficulty expressing Difficulty expressing needs; uses gestures or needs; uses gestures or points instead of wordspoints instead of words

• Repeats words in Repeats words in phrases in place of phrases in place of normal languagenormal language

• Laughs, cry, shows Laughs, cry, shows distress for reasons not distress for reasons not apparent to othersapparent to others

• Prefers to be alone, Prefers to be alone, withdrawnwithdrawn

Autism (characteristics) Autism (characteristics) con’tcon’t• Unresponsive to normal teaching methodsUnresponsive to normal teaching methods

• Sustained odd playSustained odd play

• Spins objects/ repetitive actionsSpins objects/ repetitive actions

• Inappropriate attachments to objectsInappropriate attachments to objects

• Difficulty relating with others and situationsDifficulty relating with others and situations

• May not want to cuddle or be cuddledMay not want to cuddle or be cuddled

• TantrumsTantrums

• Resists learningResists learning

• Resists change in routineResists change in routine

• Apparent over-sensitivity or under-Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to painsensitivity to pain

• No real fears of dangerNo real fears of danger

Autism---more traitsAutism---more traits

• Noticeable physical over-activity or Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activityextreme under-activity

• Uneven gross/ fine motor skillsUneven gross/ fine motor skills

• Not responsive to verbal cues; acts Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf although tests in normal as if deaf although tests in normal rangerange

• Little or no eye contactLittle or no eye contact

Emotional/Behavioral Emotional/Behavioral DisordersDisorders

• Difficulty with interpersonal relationshipsDifficulty with interpersonal relationships

• Inappropriate behavior under normal Inappropriate behavior under normal circumstancescircumstances

• General unhappy moodGeneral unhappy mood

• Physical symptoms associated with fearsPhysical symptoms associated with fears

• Inability to learn not due to intellectual, Inability to learn not due to intellectual, health, or sensory factorshealth, or sensory factors

Definition of other health Definition of other health impairmentsimpairments

• Having limited strength, vitality, or Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness including a heightened alertness including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli that alertness to environmental stimuli that result in limited alertness with respect result in limited alertness with respect to the educational environmentto the educational environment

• May be chronic (develops slowly and May be chronic (develops slowly and has long lasting symptoms) or acute has long lasting symptoms) or acute (develops quickly and has symptoms (develops quickly and has symptoms that are intense but do not last long)that are intense but do not last long)

ExamplesExamples

• AsthmaAsthma• AD/HDAD/HD• DiabetesDiabetes• LeukemiaLeukemia• Sickle Cell AnemiaSickle Cell Anemia• OthersOthers

– For IDEA the condition must adversely For IDEA the condition must adversely affect a child’s educational performance or affect a child’s educational performance or it falls under the 504 plan.it falls under the 504 plan.