Transcript The Special Needs Population

The Special Needs Population
Categories and Definitions
Chapter 3
Broad General Categories
• Many professionals and parents involved in
Special Education…..different
orientations…different vocabulary
• All agree on 6 broad general categories:
-Intellectual and developmental differences
-Sensory disabilities
-Communication Disorders
-Physical and Health Difficulties
-Behaviour Disorders
-Combinations of above
5 Official Ministry Categories of
Exceptionality
• Communications
- 5 sub-categories
• Behaviour
• Physical
-1 sub-category
• Intellectual
-3 sub-categories
• Multiple- any 2 or more co-existing from above list
Categories and Sub-Categories
(Areas)
• Communication (Category)
Sub-Categories:
1) Learning Disabilities
2) Deaf and Hard of Hearing
3) Autism
4) Speech Impairment
5) Language Impairment
Definitions: Appendix Page 221
Category: Behaviour
• No subcategories, but many different descriptors
which include
• Mental health disorders/mental illnesses
• Emotional disturbances
• Socially maladjusted
• Delinquent ( criminal behaviour )
• Conduct Disorders
Form a continuum from extreme aggression and
acting out behaviour to extreme withdrawal
/shyness : Appendix p.221
Category: Intellectual
• Sub-Categories:
1.Gifted
2.Mild Intellectual Disability (M.I.D.)
-Slow learner, at times confused with L.D.
3. Developmental Disability
-Very low intellectual functioning ( <.1 %ile). and
poorly developed ADAPTIVE Behaviour
Category: Physical
• Blind and Low Vision
• Orthopaedic Concerns : Cerebral Palsy,
Muscular Dystrophy, Musculer Sclerosis,
Spina Bifida, etc.
• Neurological Disabilities
• Health Difficulties that interfere with
learning
Ministry definition: Appendix p.222
Category: Multiple
• Combination of learning or other disorders, or
physical disabilities
• Any 2 or more of the above sub-categories
• Co-occuring or comorbid conditions
• Require specialized teacher (s) (Special Education
AdditionalQualifications) AND
• Specialized Equipment and…
• Services of an Educational Assistant ( usually)
What Do the Numbers tell Us?
• Steady increase in numbers of Special Education
students since inception of Bill 82
• Incidence data: the number of new cases
identified over a period of time
• Prevalence data: total number of existing data
• Example: At both elementary and secondary levels, L.D.
exceptionality is the largest segment of the exceptional
population (high prevalence) and the most frequent new
identifications ( high incidence rate)
High Incidence Exceptionalities
Elementary
• High Incidence and High Prevalence in
descending order:
1) Learning Disabilities - 3 to1
2) Giftedness
3)Mild Intellectual Disability (M.I.D.)
4)Behaviour *
5)Language Impairment *
6) Autism - fastest growing ( incidence)
7) Developmental Disability
Low Incidence Exceptionalities
Elementary
• Low Incidence and Low Prevalence in descending
order
1) Multiple Exceptionalities
2) Physical Disability
3) Deaf and H.of H.
4)Speech Impairment
5)Blind and Low Vision
6) Deaf and Deaf-Blind ( alternative program
Round Table Discussions
• Tables 1 and 2: What factors could account for the large increase in
students identified as L.D. in secondary schools over elementary
schools?
• Tables 3 and 4: There are over 3000 fewer students identified as
Behavioural Exceptionality in secondary schools vs. elementary
schools. What could account for this decrease in numbers?
• Tables 5 and 6: Why would it appear that the number of students who
are speech impaired is greatly decreased in secondary from
elementary?
• Tables 7 and 8: What factors could be causing the numbers of students
being identified as Communications: Autism to be so drastically
increasing at both elementary and secondary levels? What does an
increase of 175 % in services for autism at secondary mean??????