Hidden Disabilities

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Hidden Disabilities

• Presented by
• Charlotte Scott-Day
• Cynthia Escott
• From The
• Department of Rehabilitation

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What are Hidden Disabilities?

• Catchall phrase that means the disability is
  not always apparent and can include visual
  impairments, repetitive strain injuries, hearing,
  mental health, and many other disabling medical
  conditions .

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Legislation

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -
• ADA Civil Rights Act 1990
• FEHA State Law that prohibits discrimination in
  Employment
• Higher Education Act of 2008
• Post-secondary education opportunities for
  students with intellectual disabilities

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Students Attending College or Graduate/Professiona
l Schools

• Ages 18-34
• With a Disability 90,100 4.4
• Ages 35-65
• 65,700 11.7
• Roughly one in sixteen students have a reported
  disability

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Importance of Stats

• Greater number of students with disabilities
  seeking higher education and vocational training
• Accuracy of self-disclosure
• Ratio impacting classroom for number of people
  with disabilities

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Factors Affecting the Number of People with
Disabilities

• Aging population delayed retirement due to
  economics
• War and Veterans increase in war injuries TBI
  PTSD
• Environmental and Biological
• Factors Autism

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What Does

• Charles Darwin Albert Einstein Louis
  Pasteur
• Thomas Edison
• All Have in Common?

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Common Hidden Disabilities

• Learning Disability
• A disorder in one or more of the basic
  psychological processes involved in understanding
  or in using spoken or written language, which may
  manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
  listen, think, speak, write, spell or to do
  mathematical calculations

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Functional Limitations

• Auditory processing and memory
• Visual sequencing and memory
• Lack of organization/not prepared
• Poor spelling, handwriting and note taking
• Easily distracted and prone to frustration
• Fatigues easily while reading
• Frequent headaches

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Accommodations

• Alternative learning formats
• Additional time on tests and assignments
• Different testing/study environment
• Record lectures
• Books on CD
• Note taker
• Software for reading
• Minimize distractions

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Intellectual Disabilities

• Disturbances in the mental process related to
  thinking, reasoning and judgment.

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Functional Limitations

• Reading/writing/abstract reasoning
• Mobility
• Self-direction
• Receptive and expressive language
• Interpersonal Skills

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Accommodations

• Demonstrations
• Use symbols and pictures
• Singular repetitive instructions
• Reinforce routine
• School Community Resources

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Mental Health Disabilities

• Mental Health covers a broad area of mental
  and emotional conditions that can affect the
  performance of major life activities, such as
  learning, thinking and communicating, among
  others.

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Functional Limitations

• Memory
• Stamina/Fatigue
• Productivity
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to handle stress
• Organization
• Concentration

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Accommodations

• Self-paced assignments
• Tape record lectures/note takers
• Provide written instructions/checklists
• Divide large assignments into smaller tasks and
  steps
• Minimize distractions
• Private study area
• Extra time on tests

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Physical Disabilities

• Orthopedic
• Sensory
• Neurological

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Functional Limitations

• Fatigue
• Concentration due to pain
• Memory
• Mobility
• Dexterity/fine motor/gross motor skills

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Accommodations

• May need to stand and stretch during lectures
• Ergonomic work station and equipment
• Taped lectures, note takers, extra time to
  complete assignments
• Extra time on test

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Resources

• Jan Accommodation Network
• Department of Rehabilitation
• Disability Services Program
• Regional Centers
• Independent Living Centers

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MisconceptionsTrue or False

• Learning disability is another word for Mental
  Retardation.
• Students with learning disabilities could do the
  work if they just apply themselves.
• All students learn the same way.
• Students with psychiatric conditions should not
  pursue higher education.

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Questions and Answers
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Thank you for attending!