Physical Disabilities
Chapter 12 Objectives
At the end of this presentation, you should be able to:
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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
Physical Disabilities
Understanding Individual
Students
Who Is Rommel Nanasca?
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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.
Defining Physical Disabilities
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How Do You Recognize Students
with 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
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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.
Physical Disabilities
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Physical Disability Simulation
• Diminished strength
• Poor endurance
• Limited mobility
Describing the Characteristics
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How Do You Recognize Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Cerebral palsy
– A disorder of movement or posture, due to damage in the brain
– Four types
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Spastic
Athetoid
Ataxic
Mixed
– Causes
• Prenatal
• Perinatal
• Postnatal
– Other associated conditions
• Possible mental retardation
• Speech and communication problems
Understand the prevalence of physical disabilities.
Describing the Characteristics
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How Do You Recognize Students
with Physical Disabilities?
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.
Describing the Characteristics
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Muscular dystrophy
– A group of nine hereditary muscledestroying 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.
How Do You Recognize Students
with Physical Disabilities?
Describing the Characteristics
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How Do You Recognize Students
with Physical Disabilities?
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.
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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.
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Understand the prevalence of physical disabilities.
Determining the Presence
How Do You Evaluate Students with
Physical Disabilities?
How Do You Evaluate Students with Physical Disabilities?
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Prior to birth
– Amniocentesis
– Ultrasonographic fetal imaging
After birth
– Apgar screening
• Activity (muscle tone)
• Pulse (heart rate)
• Grimace (reflex response)
• Appearance (color)
• Respiration (breathing)
– 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.
Determining the Presence
How Do You Evaluate Students with
Physical Disabilities?
Figure 12-4
Describe how students with physical disabilities can be evaluated.
Determining the Nature and
Extent of Services
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How Do You Evaluate Students with
Physical Disabilities?
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.
How Do You Assure Progress in the
General Curriculum?
Including Students
Figure 12-5
Planning Universally
Designed Learning
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How Do You Assure Progress in the
General Curriculum?
Adapting instruction and evaluation for mobility
impairments
– Assistive technology
• High-tech devices
• Medium-tech devices
• Low-tech devices
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– 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)
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Symbols
Displays
Selection options
Output
Reflect on the assistive technologies available to support communication and mobility.
Categories of Assistive
Technology
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Aids for Daily Living: Self help aids for use in activities such as
eating, bathing, cooking, dressing, toileting, home maintenance,
etc.
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Augmentative or Alternative Communication (AAC): Electronic
and non-electronic devices that provide a means for expressive
and receptive communication for persons with limited or no speech.
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Computer Access: Input and output devices (voice, Braille),
alternate access aids (headsticks, light pointers), modified or
alternate keyboards, switches, special software, etc. that enable
persons with disabilities to use a computer. This category includes
speech recognition software.
Categories of Assistive
Technology
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Environmental Control Systems: Primarily electronic systems that enable
someone with limited mobility to control various appliances, electronic aids,
security systems, etc. in their room, home or other surroundings.
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Home/Worksite Modifications: Structural adaptations, fabrications in the
home, worksite or other area (ramps, lifts, bathroom changes) that remove or
reduce physical barriers for an individual with a disability.
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Prosthetics and Orthotics: Replacement, substitution or augmentation of
missing or malfunctioning body parts with artificial limbs or other orthotic aids
(splints, braces, etc.). There are also prosthetics to assist with cognitive
limitations or deficits, including audio tapes or pagers (that function as prompts
or reminders).
Categories of Assistive
Technology
• Seating and Positioning: Accommodations to a wheelchair or
other seating system to provide greater body stability,
trunk/head support and an upright posture, and reduction of
pressure on the skin surface (cushions, contour seats, lumbar).
• Service Animals: The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a
service animal as any guide dog (for visually impaired and blind
individuals), signal dog (for hearing impaired or Deaf
individuals), or other animal individually trained to provide
assistance to an individual with a disability.
Categories of Assistive
Technology
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Aids for Vision Impaired: Aids for specific populations including
magnifiers, Braille or speech output devices, large print screens, closed
circuit television for magnifying documents, etc.
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Aids for Hearing Impaired: Aids for specific populations including
assistive listening devices (infrared, FM loop systems), hearing aids, TTYs,
visual and tactile alerting systems, etc.
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Wheelchairs/Mobility Aids: Manual and electric wheelchairs, mobile
bases for custom chairs, walkers, three-wheel scooters and other utility
vehicles for increasing personal mobility.
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Vehicle Modifications: Adaptive driving aids, hand controls, wheelchair
and other lifts, modified vans, or other motor vehicles used for personal
transportation.
What Can You Learn from Others
Who Teach Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Early Childhood
What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students with
Physical Disabilities?
Early Childhood Years
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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.
What Can You Learn from Others
Who Teach Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Elementary
Elementary Years
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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.
Middle and Secondary
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What Can You Learn from Others
Who Teach Students with Physical
Disabilities?
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.
Transitional and Post Secondary
What Can You Learn from Others
Who Teach Students with Physical
Disabilities?
Transitional and Post-Secondary Years
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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.
A Vision for Rommel’s Future
A Vision for Rommel’s Future
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Rommel’s 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.