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TLSE 456/7 Overview of Disabilities Under IDEA Learning Disabilities IDEA Definition • “ a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language… (Psychological processes are memory, perception, attention, etc.) continued • that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do math calculations…” Discrepancy • Compare IQ level on • IQ test with achievement test scores (historically) New approach: RTI (responsiveness to intervention) (IDEA, 2004) Some Characteristics • Difficulty in • • • • • understanding and following directions Short attention span Difficulty with handwriting and fine motor skills Visual or auditory memory Memorizing words or basic math facts Difficulty allocating time and organizing work Some Characteristics • Difficulty in • • • • • understanding and following directions Short attention span Difficulty with handwriting and fine motor skills Visual or auditory memory Memorizing words or basic math facts Difficulty allocating time and organizing work Communication Disorders Communication Disorders involves Speech Language Speech Disorder • Difficulty producing sounds as well as distortions in voice quality or fluency of speech Language Disorder • Difficulty receiving, understanding, and formulating ideas and information Speech Language Pathologists • Assesses speech and language • Provides therapy • Act as consultant to others • Monitor progress Mental Retardation IDEA • “Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning existing with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period (before 18”… Mental Functioning • Mild IQ 50 – 70 or 75 • Moderate IQ 35 – 49 • Severe IQ 20 – 34 • Profound IQ <20 Adaptive Behavior • Skills learned by people in order to function in everyday life Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) TBI – IDEA Definition • “Acquired injury to the brain caused by an external force that adversely affects a child’s educational performance and results in partial functional disability, psychosocial impairment or both….” TBI can be due to….. • Closed Injury • Open Injury Areas Typically Affected • • • • • • • • • Cognition Language Memory Attention Reasoning Abstract Thinking Judgment Information Processing Speech Possible Physical Changes • Nothing to serious • 20% - Seizures; often subside • Spasticity or paralysis • Coordination problems • Physical weakness • Fatigue • Some strength resumes as brain heals Physical Changes continued • Headaches • Visual/hearing issues • Changes in senses Possible Cognitive Changes • Comprehension • Problem solving • Concentration • Long and short term memory • Information processing • Poor judgment Possible Linguistic Changes • Receptive language • Written language • Aphasia (inability to use language appropriately) • Word finding issues • Most speech and expression skills are regained Possible Social, Behavioral, and Personality Changes • Temper outbursts • Euphoria • Restlessness • Anxiety • Irritability • 15-25% struggle with depression • Poor self-monitoring skills Very Low Incidence Disabilities •Multiple-Severe disabilities •Deaf blindness Multiple - Severe • Often cognitive, sensory, and physical disabilities • Focus on functional skills • Require supports throughout life, usually • Group homes • Living longer Deaf blindness • Often some residual hearing or vision • Need considerable supports • Often have additional disabilities • Less frequently in general education • Communication and functional skills Physical or Orthopedic Impairments •Amputation •Cerebral Palsy •Juvenile Arthritis •Muscular Dystrophy •Spina Bifida •Spinal Chord Injury Orthopedic Impairments (IDEA) • Also called physical impairments or physical disabilities • IDEA definition emphasizes causes – Congenital (born) – Disease (TB) – Other causes (CP, amputations, burns) Physical Impairments • Neuromotor Impairments (cause is CNSbrain and spinal cord) • Muscular/Skeletal conditions (cause not neurological) Neuromotor Impairments • CP – Cerebral Palsy • MS – Multiple Sclerosis • MD – Muscular Dystrophy • Seizure disorders – (i.e., epilepsy) • Spinal cord disorders – (i.e., spina bifida) Visual Impairments Definitions of Visual Impairments • Visual Impairments • • - vision cannot be primary learning channel Partially Sighted -some useful vision – person may see colors and figures with blurring -vision between 20/70 and 20/200 Legal definition: any of the following -only reads first E with both eyes -20/200 vision with glasses -tunnel vision (less than 20 degrees) Definitions Continued • IDEA-an impairment in vision that even with corrections, adversely affects educational performance. – Functionally blind-uses Braille but has vision for environmental tasks. – Low vision-can read with magnification or environmental modification – Totally blind-must use tactual and auditory learning, no meaningful input through vision. Definitions Continued • IDEA-an impairment in vision that even with corrections, adversely affects educational performance. – Functionally blind-uses Braille but has vision for environmental tasks. – Low vision-can read with magnification or environmental modification – Totally blind-must use tactual and auditory learning, no meaningful input through vision. • Insistence on sameness; • • • • resistance to change Difficulty expressing needs; uses gestures or points instead of words Repeats words in phrases in place of normal language Laughs, cry, shows distress for reasons not apparent to others Prefers to be alone, withdrawn Autism (characteristics) con’t • Unresponsive to normal teaching methods • Sustained odd play • Spins objects/ repetitive actions • Inappropriate attachments to objects • Difficulty relating with others and situations • May not want to cuddle or be cuddled • Tantrums • Resists learning • Resists change in routine • Apparent over-sensitivity or undersensitivity to pain • No real fears of danger Autism---more traits • Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity • Uneven gross/ fine motor skills • Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf although tests in normal range • Little or no eye contact Emotional/Behavioral Disorders • Difficulty with interpersonal relationships • Inappropriate behavior under normal circumstances • General unhappy mood • Physical symptoms associated with fears • Inability to learn not due to intellectual, health, or sensory factors Definition of other health impairments • Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli that result in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment • May be chronic (develops slowly and has long lasting symptoms) or acute (develops quickly and has symptoms that are intense but do not last long) Examples • • • • • • Asthma AD/HD Diabetes Leukemia Sickle Cell Anemia Others – For IDEA the condition must adversely affect a child’s educational performance or it falls under the 504 plan.