Physical Disabilities

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Chapter 12

• Physical Disabilities
• SPED 320
• Minnesota State University Moorhead

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At the end of this presentation, you should be
able to
Physical Disabilities
Chapter 12 Objectives

• Understand the prevalence of physical
  disabilities.
• Describe how students with physical disabilities
  can be evaluated.
• Reflect on the assistive technologies available
  to support communication and mobility.
• Understand how students with disabilities can be
  included in the general education curriculum.

Chapter objectives
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Who Is Rommel Nanasca?
Physical Disabilities
Understanding Individual Students

• He is an 18-year-old boy in a gifted and talented
  education program.
• He needs to use special devices to help him
  breathe and receive nutrients.
• He has a condition called spinal muscular
  atrophy, as does his younger brother.
• He experienced a life-threatening episode while
  at school, which led his family and school team
  to develop health and emergency procedures so he
  can fully participate in the general curriculum
  at school.

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How Do You Recognize Students with Physical
Disabilities?
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
  are very different from each other
• The term may be used to also include students
  with
• Severe and multiple disabilities
• Other health impairments
• Traumatic brain injury
• This chapter focuses on three types of physical
  disabilities
• Cerebral palsy
• Spina bifida
• Spinal muscular atrophy (a type of muscular
  dystrophy)

Understand the prevalence of physical
disabilities.
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How Do You Recognize Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Describing the Characteristics

• Cerebral palsy
• A disorder of movement or posture, due to damage
  in the brain
• Four types
• Spastic
• Athetoid
• Ataxic
• Mixed
• Causes
• Prenatal
• Perinatal
• Postnatal
• Other associated conditions
• Possible mental retardation
• Speech and communication problems

Understand the prevalence of physical
disabilities.
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How Do You Recognize Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Describing the Characteristics

• Spina bifida
• Malformation of the spinal cord
• Three common forms (see p. 347)
• Spina bifida occulta
• Meningocele
• Myelomeningocele
• Causes
• Occurs in early pregnancy
• Mothers using regular supplements containing
  folic acid reduce their risk of having a child
  with spina bifida.
• Other associated conditions
• Usually does not affect intelligence
• Depending on location of defect, may cause
  incontinence or other urinary and bowel problems

Understand the prevalence of physical
disabilities.
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How Do You Recognize Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Describing the Characteristics

• Muscular dystrophy
• A group of nine hereditary muscle-destroying
  disorders
• One type is spinal muscular atrophy
• Instead of destroying muscles, specialized nerve
  cells called motor neurons are attacked.
• Can result in paraplegia
• Causes
• Autosomal recessive disease both parents must
  carry the gene responsible
• Can affect both males and females
• Other associated conditions
• Scoliosis

Understand the prevalence of physical
disabilities.
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How Do You Recognize Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Describing the Characteristics

• Prevalence of physical disabilities
• Difficult to determine since physical
  disabilities may occur with other disabilities
• In 1999-2000, about 0.11 percent of all students
  receiving special education services were in this
  category.
• Preventing physical disabilities
• There are many different approaches.
• A state-of-the-art approach involves surgery on a
  fetus while still in the uterus of the mother.

Understand the prevalence of physical
disabilities.
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How Do You Evaluate Students with Physical
Disabilities?
How Do You Evaluate Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Determining the Presence

• Prior to birth
• Amniocentesis
• Ultrasonographic fetal imaging
• After birth
• Apgar screening
• May be diagnosed after birth if the child fails
  to develop as expected
• Additional specialist on an evaluation team may
  include
• Physicians
• Occupational and physical therapists
• Nurses
• Adaptive physical education specialists

Describe how students with physical disabilities
can be evaluated.
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Figure 12-4
How Do You Evaluate Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Determining the Presence
Describe how students with physical disabilities
can be evaluated.
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How Do You Evaluate Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Determining the Nature and Extent of Services

• Accessibility to physical environments
• Access to the general curriculum
• Participation in extracurricular and other school
  activities
• Occupational therapists are often valuable
• Movement patterns
• Posturing
• Use of necessary adaptive devices
• Ecological inventory
• Identifying important environments for
  participation
• Identifying subenvironments
• Identifying skills possessed, skills needed, and
  supports available and needed
• Continued monitoring

Describe how students with physical disabilities
can be evaluated.
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Figure 12-5
How Do You Assure Progress in the General
Curriculum?
Including Students
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How Do You Assure Progress in the General
Curriculum?
Planning Universally Designed Learning

• Adapting instruction and evaluation for mobility
  impairments
• Assistive technology
• High-tech devices
• Medium-tech devices
• Low-tech devices
• Use of adaptive equipment requires training for
  students
• Standard computers can be adapted for use
• Adapting instruction and evaluation for
  communication impairments
• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
• Symbols
• Displays
• Selection options
• Output

Reflect on the assistive technologies available
to support communication and mobility.
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What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students
with Physical Disabilities?
What Can You Learn from Others Who Teach Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Early Childhood

• Early Childhood Years
• Self-determination through technology
• Using technology allows children with physical
  disabilities to communicate with same-age peers
  without disabilities.
• Can use an eye-gaze board as a low-tech tool
• Other devices may be used for communication, such
  as the computer for activities or an electronic
  speech aid.

Understand how students with disabilities can be
included in the general education curriculum.
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What Can You Learn from Others Who Teach Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Elementary

• Elementary Years
• In the gym with assistive technology
• Students can participate in physical education
  lessons in the general education curriculum
  through the use of adaptive physical education
  activities.
• Helps build students self-esteem

Understand how students with disabilities can be
included in the general education curriculum.
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What Can You Learn from Others Who Teach Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Middle and Secondary

• Middle and Secondary Years
• Centers for Independent Living
• These centers are available in communities
  nationwide.
• Adults with disabilities can act as mentors for
  younger persons with disabilities.
• Mentorships allow students to learn how to handle
  various challenging situations in community life.
• Allows students to develop self-efficacy

Understand how students with disabilities can be
included in the general education curriculum.
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What Can You Learn from Others Who Teach Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Transitional and Post Secondary

• Transitional and Post-Secondary Years
• Self-determination in higher education
• Peer-mentoring programs are effective.
• University of California at San Diego provides
  mentoring along with other services through its
  Office for Students with Disabilities.
• Weekly meeting sessions allow students to provide
  emotional support and provide information about
  college life.

Understand how students with disabilities can be
included in the general education curriculum.
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A Vision for Rommels Future
A Vision for Rommels Future

• Rommels disabilities change constantly, but
  technology continues to change and grow as well.
• He has a strong spirit and quick mind, as well as
  strong family and professional support.
• Rommel wants to be able to attend college in the
  future, possibly at UCSD, where his sister
  attends.