Transcript Developmental Disabilities

Introduction to
Developmental
Disabilities
Developmental
Disability
P.L. 98-527 - Developmental Disability Act
• Definition
– The term “developmental disability” means a
severe, chronic disability of a person that:
• is attributable to a mental or physical impairment
or combination of mental and physical
impairments;
• is manifested before the person attains age 22;
• is likely to continue indefinitely;
Developmental
Disabilities
• Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more
of the following areas of major life activity:
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Self-Care
Receptive and Expressive Language
Learning
Mobility
Self-Direction
Capacity for Independent Living, and economic selfsufficiency
• Reflects the person’s need for a combination and sequence of
special, interdisciplinary, or generic care, treatment or other
services that are life-long or of extended duration and are
individually planned and coordinated.
Developmental
Disabilities
• 4 major types of developmental disabilities:
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Mental Retardation
Epilepsy
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
• **All people with developmental disabilities have
more in common with the general population than
differences.
Causes
Before Birth
During Birth
After Birth
Genetic Disorders
Metabolic Disorders
U.S. History of
Services
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1600’s-1700’s: No Services (Forsaken/Hidden)
Mid 1800’s: Training Schools
Early 1900’s: Custodial Care
1950’s-1960’s: Activities
1970’s: Institutional Reform
(Education/Habilitation)
• 1980’s: Deinstitutionalization & Community
Inclusion
• 1990’s: Non-Facility Based Services
Mental
Retardation
Definition: The American Association of Mental
Retardation
• IQ of less than 70 (Deficits in intellectual functioning),
• Deficits in adaptive behavior, and
• Occurs during the development period - before the age
of 18
•Mental Retardation responds best to:
• Education
• Training
• Support
Mental
Retardation
• A Functional Definition
• People with Mental Retardation are likely to:
– Learn more slowly
– Retain less
– Have difficulty applying what they learn to new
situations
– Think more concretely
– Learn and develop throughout their lives
Causes of Mental
Retardation
Genetic
Social
Physiological
Mental Retardation
VS Mental Illness
• Below average
intellectual
functioning
• Begins prior to age 18
• Cannot be caused by
emotional trauma
• Is not “cured”
• Development is
slower
• Can have extremely
high intellect
• Can occur at any age
• Can be caused by
emotional trauma
• Some types can be
cured
• Disorder of thought
processes
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral = Brain
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Palsy = Muscle
Control
Caused by damage to the brain.
Approximately 500,000 Americans have Cerebral Palsy.
Approximately 5,000 babies are diagnosed each year.
Problems with muscle coordination (not an inability)
Three Main Types
• Spastic - Tight Rigid Muscles, Movement is Difficult,
Abnormal Positions
• Athetoid - Involuntary Flailing Movements
• Mixed Type - Combination of Spastic and Athetoid
Movements
• There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy.
AUTISM
Autism affects approx. 5 Out of Every 10,000 Births
• Individuals with autism may exhibit the following
characteristics:
• Difficulty forming social relationships
• Develop attachments to inanimate objects
• Display self-injurious behavior
• Engage in rocking, ritualistic hand movements or
sudden crying / laughing without noticeable cause
• Verbalize non-reality based verbalizations.
• There is no cure for autism.
EPILEPSY
(Seizures)
• About 1% of the population has epilepsy.
• It is characterized by recurring seizures.
• It is due to a discharge of excess electrical energy in
the brain.
• May be preceded by an “aura” - an unusual sensation
of taste, smell, sight, sound, or physical disturbance.
• About 50% control seizures with medication
• Some with epilepsy can drive cars (if they meet the
requirements)
EPILEPSY
• 3 Common Types
– Tonic Clonic
– Absence
– Complex Partial
• During a Seizure:
– Immediately leave undisturbed
– Remove anything that could cause injury
– Loosen restrictive clothing
Needs Hierarchy
HigherLevel
Needs
SelfActualization
Esteem
Social
LowerLevel
Needs
Safety
Physiological
Meet needs in order of hierarchy. Lowest level
unsatisfied need is the most powerful need.
Perception: Person
Seen as a Child
Behavior of Person
Acts in a Childish Manner
Incompetent
Dependent
Treatment of Person
Treated Childishly Given
Children’s Possessions
Called by Childish
Nickname Time
Structured in Childish
Ways
Self-Perception Thinks of
self as a Child
Handicapism
Handicapism is a theory and set of
practices that promote unequal and
unjust treatment of people because
of apparent or assumed physical or
mental disability.
Biklen & Bogdan (1976)
Think “People
First”
People First Language
Language is a reflection of how people
see each other. That’s why the words
we use can make a difference. We
want to choose language that reflects
the dignity of people with disabilities;
words that put the person first, rather
than the disability.
People First
Language
• Common words and definitions
– Impairment - abnormalities of body structure or
appearance, as well as abnormal functioning of various
parts or organ systems (blindness, deafness)
– Disability - consequence of an impairment
– Handicap - ways in which the disability or impairment
affects an individual mentally, socially and
emotionally.
The First Impression
Makes a Lasting
Impression!
Interacting w/People
with Disabilities
• Look at the person, not the
staff
• Talk to the person.
• If you didn’t hear or
understand, don’t act like
you did.
• Don’t use “we” talk.
• Greet the way you
normally greet others.
• Don’t treat adults as
children.
• If you don’t understand
what a person said, tell
them and ask them to
repeat it. If you still don’t
understand, ask if there is
someone around who can
help.
• Knock before you enter a
person’s room or home.
• Be respectful of any aids a
person uses.
Interacting with People That Have
Hearing Impairments
• Get the person’s
attention first.
• Face the person.
• Speak in a normal
tone of voice.
• Use body language.
• Find the best way
to communicate.
• Rephrase rather
than keep
repeating.
Interacting with People with
Speech Difficulties
• Speak in a normal
tone and volume to
the person.
• Wait for the person to
finish.
• Avoid noisy
situations.
• Tell the person if you
don’t understand.
• Offer to access other
aids to assist in getting
the message across.
Interacting with People with
Visual Impairments
• Identify yourself.
• Let the person know
before you leave them.
• Assist them to
understand what you
are seeing in the
environment.
• Offer your arm if
walking.
• Be respectful of any
aids the person may
use (guide dogs or
cane).
Interacting with People That Use
a Wheelchair
• Check ahead for
accessibility.
• Don’t treat adults as
children.
• Be careful when
assisting.
• Stand a few feet away.
• Find a place to sit
down.
• Don’t touch the
equipment unless you
are assisting the
person.
My Action Plan For
Supporting People
with Disabilities
• The attitudes I need to change.
• The things I can do to help promote
positive attitudes about people with
disabilities.