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Disabilities
Below you will find brief summaries on each
disability. If you go to the disability portion of the menu you
will be able to select a specific disability to learn more about it.
- ADHD
Also known as attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. This disability effects each person
differently, for some it can simply make it hard to focus or
complete tasks, for other it can produce periods of
frustration ultimately leading to violence. The least
severe version of ADHD may be able to be treated with some
simple modifications such as redirecting, frequent breaks,
allowing and outlet for built up energy. The more
severe and unfortunately quicker, instant form of treatments
is Ritalin.
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- Autism
"A developmental disability generally affecting
verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction."
(IDEA) A form of autism known as Asperger syndrome has
significant social effects but rarely no language delay.
Some autistic students exhibit what is called splinter
skills, which is best described as areas of unexpectedly
higher intelligence (given a random date they can tell you
the day of the week for that date).
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- Visually Impaired
Ranges from poor vision in which large print items
may need to be provided to being legally blind which
requires the use of Braille and orientation and mobility
classes to teach the students how to become more
independent.
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- Hearing Impaired
Broken into two categories: deafness, hearing loss of
90 dB or more which impacts the processing of information
through auditory means, hard of hearing, which means the
student is able to process speech with the use of a hearing
device.
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- Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
Also known as E/BD, can be exhibited in many
different ways. Many of the disorders overlap with
other disabilities. The ten most common E/BD groups
are: pervasive developmental disorders,
attention-deficit and disruptive disorders, pica disorder,
anorexia nervosa, bulimia, tic disorders, elimination
disorders, separation anxiety disorders, elective mutism and
reactive attachment disorder.
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- Multiple/Severe Disabilities
Pertains to students who need extensive support to
carry on life activities (mobility, hygiene and learning).
Oddly enough, students classified as being deaf-blind do not
fall into the multiple/severe disability category.
Because of this these students generally need a very
specific education program integrated with social,
psychological and medical interventions.
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- Orthopedic Impairment
Students with orthopedic impairments such as:
Cerebral palsy, Spinal bifida, muscular dystrophy and any
paralysis associated with injury to the spinal cord.
These students generally need a supplement in order to
achieve mobility such as: a wheelchair or crutches.
Spinal cord injuries could go on to lead a normal intellect,
but also just as the other impairments it can also have a
drastic impact on learning and social behavior.
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- Speech or Language Impairment
Is generally recognizable by students not meeting
certain milestones as they develop. Not only does this
disability effect speech and language, but it can also
effect comprehension and writing. Speech problems
generally fall into the following categories:
stuttering, cluttering, delayed speech, articulation
disorders and voice disorders.
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- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Occurs when there is a blow to the head or when the
head slams against a stationary object. There are two
types of damage: primary damage which is a direct result of
the injury and secondary damage which develops over time as
the brain responds to the initial injury. Students
with TBI usually have "impairments in cognition, language,
memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment,
problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities,
psychosocial behaviors, physical functions, information
processing and speech." (Federal Register, 57, 189 pp. 44,
802)
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- Mental Retardation
Students with mental retardation usually experience
limitations intellectually (reasoning, planning, problem
solving, comprehending and abstract thinking) and
behaviorally (social and practical skills that are normally
"learned" everyday). In order to be classified as
mentally retarded a students IQ would fall between 70 and
75. Students with an IQ of 55-70 are said to be
educable, where as, students with an IQ of 40-55 are said to
be trainable. MR students also lack adaptive behavior,
in other words they lack the skills necessary to survive in
their everyday lives.
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- Learning Disabilities
This covers such a broad spectrum of disabilities and
is the category that most people with disabilities fall
into. Actually, 50% of students age 6-21 are said to
be learning disabled. Such classifications could be reading
difficulties due to dyslexia, and poor math skill due to
dyscalculia. This disability has huge effects on
behavior because people with this disability can't progress
at the same pace as non-disabled people.
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- Gifted, Creative, and Talented
Students that are performing at higher levels than
their peers in the categories of intellect, creativity or
artistic areas. These students tend to be natural
leaders and excel in specific academic fields. These
type of students usually qualify for acceleration which
allows them to learn at a rate matched to their abilities,
or enrichment which allows students to further enhance their
educational experience.
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