You are a 2nd grade teacher and have discovered that in one week you will be getting a new student who has the following low-incidence disability. Low-incidence disability means you are unlikely to work with a student like this every year. You are now responsible for researching this disability so that you can provide the best learning environment for this student and the other 18 students that are in your 2nd grade class. Research the following disability according to the beginning letter of your last name. Share your findings.
B-D Mental Retardation
F-H Multiple Disabilities
K-L Hearing Impairments
M Orthopedic Impairments
N Other Health Impairments
P Autism
R Visual Impairments
S Deaf-Blindness
On Thursday, Barb Vinson, will be joining our class to share with you the low-incidence disability needs of her daughter Jodi James who passed away on September 5,2009
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My student has a hearing impairment. A hearing impairment is a full or partial decrease in one or both ears in the ability to detect or understand sounds.
ReplyDeleteI researched what I have to do in order to include the student with the hearing impairment. First, I will ask the student where they would like to sit in order to get their full attention. Also, I need to make sure everyone is looking at me before I start speaking. I will use a lot of visual aids. I will be sure to eliminate background noises. I have been in classrooms before where the teacher wore a microphone so everyone could hear her loud and clear. I would definitely try to include this in my classroom. I will write out all of my assignments on the board for everyone to read.
I feel by doing these things, I will be able to reach out to my hearing impaired student without inconveniencing my other students.
I have a student that has a hearing impairment. According to http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html, an average student with hearing impairment has trouble with vocabulary growth and complex sentence comprehension. Hearing impaired students include those that are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind.
ReplyDeleteIn order to include the student who has a hearing impaired disability, one of the most important tools for this child is having visual aids. When communicating, I have to make sure I am facing the student and using facial expressions. By using gestures, I help convey the message that I am trying to get across. For this student, I will ask where he/she wants to sit, in order for him to communicate in the best manner.
Some of the strategies that I need to include for this student are: eliminate background noise, get the attention of the student before communicating, use written notes to communicate if it is necessary, and make sure notes on the board are legible. It is also important for the student to sit close to me when I lecture. When speaking, I need to speak slowly, clearly, and naturally. When writing on the board for my hearing impaired student, I will break up long sentences, reduce difficult vocabulary load, and stay with simple coordinating conjunctions.
Including the student with the rest of the class might take some practice. In order to include the hearing impaired student, I should encourage him/her to participate with the rest of the class by answering questions and volunteering when there are verbal activities. It is vital to include procedures when including the hearing impaired with the rest of the group. One of the best sitting arrangements when all the students are working together is being in a circle or horseshoe. It is important to make this hearing impaired student feel included and not out of place. He/she is just as important as the rest. :)
My student has Autism and Autism has varying degrees of intensity. It is not a disability that can be cured or outgrown. It's largely due to a nuerological disorder that affects the development areas of communication skills and social interaction.
ReplyDeleteThe education of Autistic children is very individual. I would first start with developing a comprehensive needs assesment for the child to see how varying the disability is. Once I've done that I would either make an individualized education plan for that child, or make an IEP but also allow for parts of the day to be interactive with the other students. The IEP would have a lot of structured education since studies have shown that people with autism react well to structurized activities.
I would have to address the rest of the class, before the student came to join us, that we'd be getting a new friend who's needs are little different from ours, but remind them that we're all different and it's not a bad thing. Remind them that we want to make our new friend feel welcome and let them know that if the new student doesn't respond right away to them, not to be offended, it will just take time for him or her to adjust to a new classroom.
My second grade student has multiple disabilities. Multiple disabilities mean the student can or may have both physical, emotional, and mental disabilities. Usually it is mental/intellectual and physical.
ReplyDeleteI am really glad I got assigned to this topic of a low-incidence disability. My freshman year of college I was down at Purdue in West Lafayette. I had a job with Community Ventures in Living where I went to my clients home and took care of them while their parents went out and got groceries, worked out, or had a little personal time. All of my clients had multiple disabilities. They ranged from hardley being noticeable to being totally dependent on me taking them from place to place. It was extremely rewarding to be able to work with these great kids and I could see how it could be such a challenge for a teacher to accomodate for such needs.
If such a child was placed in my classroom I would need to make sure the physical placement of the classroom was appropriate. Some kids with multiple disabilities will need help walking to their seat or even be in a wheel chair most of the day. There also needs to be materials for them to interact with and engage in that stimulates their minds. For example, one girl I worked with was 13 years old. However, she had the intellectual level of a 4 or 5 year old. She loved book! She especially loved books with lots of colors and sounds. Those kinds of interactions helped her to be happy and to experience things such as color, sounds, and even words that go with the sounds.
Another example of how the classroom may need to be set up is having large pictures of many things such as maps or even math sheets. If the student has a hearing imparement, which all of my clients did, it would be wise for the teacher to wear a microphone in the classroom so all the kids can hear the teacher loud and clear. In Block 1 observations, I was with a Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Weiss at Burnett Creek Elementary school in West Lafayette. She wore a microphone because one of her kids had hearing trouble. She advised all teachers they should use one regardless. I thought it was a great idea, especially for those students with disabilities.
As a teacher dealing with a student with multiple disabilities, it can be quite frustrating for him/her and the other students in the class, especially if they're only 7 or 8 years old. Be patient and advise the other children that the child is not as capable of doing everything the way they are so they should be patient as well. If you walk into it with open arms and ready to learn from this child(ren) it can be a great learning experience. These kids are an incredible gift and we can learn so much from them and learn to appreciate so much from them.
Most children with “multiple disabilities have an intellectual disability and a physical or sensory impairment.” As students, these children frequently have additional service providers such as a special educator, a speech/language pathologist, an occupational therapist, and/or a personal aide. I would confer with them to make sure the room is set up so that their presence is smoothly integrated.
ReplyDeleteSetting up the classroom is very important when a child has a physical disability. As a second grade teacher with 18 other students and plenty of warning that the new student is joining us, I would first explain as much about the situation as I could to the students. I would explain that keeping the room neat and orderly would be very helpful especially if the child was in a wheelchair or used another assistive device. I would arrange the room, prior to the arrival of the new student, so that his seat would be positioned close to the front of the room. I would make sure there was enough room for the child to move around easily. Once the child arrived, I would assign him a buddy for fire drills, lunch time routines, or emergencies. My goal would be to make the child feel socially accepted.
If the student needed a way to communicate other than by using speech, I would investigate augmentative or alternative communication methods such as sign language or a complex computer system. If hearing was a problem, I would investigate various technologies such as a FM system. I would also give the new student plenty of time to answer questions in class, or modify a question so that he would only have to give a “yes” or “no” reply. It would also be important to not let other students answer for the new student.
It would be important to use centers in this classroom, if not already being used. Centers would allow the student to try various activities and reach his own potential. I would try to adapt equipment (raising or lowering a white board) or situations (giving more time for the new student to complete a task) to accommodate the new student as well. It would also be important to remember that the student with the disability would be struggling harder to achieve the same goal as other students and may fatigue faster. It would be important for the student to have a place in the classroom where he could rest or have a snack. He may even need to be repositioned.
Children with multiple disabilities have two or more disabling conditions that affect learning or other important life functions. As a teacher, we may be faced with a child who has multiple disabilities such as cognitive, developmental, hearing, or mobility impairments. Children with multiple disabilities will need educational services targeting each area of disability.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher we must be prepared for anything. Students will be put into our classrooms and it is our job to know their background.
I was given a child with multiple disabilities. This can be a challenge for a teacher if you are not fully informed about what their disability entails.
We must keep our classroom environment appropriate for all students. It must be a safe but fun place for a child to grow and develop. Just because a child may have a disability does not mean that they should be neglected; but this also does not mean we should neglect our other students. A teacher must be creative. We must incorporate a lesson that can involve all of our students. If our lesson can not incorporate all then we must have the ability to adjust our schedule to fit the needs of each and every one of our students.
We must always be patient as a teacher. Not knowing how the child deals with every day situations is impossible for us to know, but we must understand that they are trying. We must continue to do the best that we can to help the child develop. Give children with multiple disabilities activities that they can enjoy but still learn with. Make sure that as a teacher we can keep ourselves involved with all activities in the classroom. Every child in our classroom is special and because one may be a little different we must all be treated equally. A teacher needs to focus on not only one student but all.
According to the American Foundation for the Blind, about 10 million people in the United States are visually impaired. A visual impairment is any kind of vision loss. It is somewhat of a broad term that encompasses people who cannot see at all as well as people who have a partial vision loss. To make my classroom an effective learning environment for the student with visual impairment, I will speak as I enter or leave the classroom. I should also call students by their first names when I want them to answer questions, rather than nodding in their direction or pointing to them. By treating all students that way, the student with the visual impairment will not feel singled out if I only call on them by name. Regardless if the student has total vision loss or partial vision loss, it is best to seat them away from glaring lights or where there may be obstacles getting to and from their desk.
ReplyDeleteI feel that keeping the classroom orderly and organized will allow the visually impaired student to know where to find certain things as well as being able to maneuver through the room without the fear of tripping or running into anything. The other students in the classroom will benefit from an organized classroom as well. If the student has a guide dog, I will be sure that the rest of the class understands the procedures dealing with the guide dog. There will be a class policy to not talk to the animal or pet him.
Not all visually impaired students are blind. Some students have partial vision loss and can still see. To accommodate a student with some sight, I can have magnifying devices to aid in reading or working with objects as well as a low vision projection screen for reading the computer screen.
Regardless of the disability a student may have in my classroom, I want that student to feel comfortable and welcome in my room. The other students in the classroom should treat the disabled student with respect and understanding. I feel that by understanding the disability, I can teach the rest of my class about the disability.
In my second grade classroom, I just got a new student that has autism. The first step I would take is to research everything there is to know about autistic children. I would then gather information about how this student prefers to communicate, his or her ability to communicate, and their cognitive abilities.
ReplyDeleteI would make sure that my classroom had a daily routine, because autistic children need an agenda. The consistent routine will lower my autistic student and all of my students’ anxiety and increase their ability to function independently in the classroom. I would also use as many visual icons as possible. I would put a picture along with all of our classroom rules and procedures and picture icons on objects throughout the room to help increase their understanding.
As a teacher, I would set up my classroom with all of my students in mind and also watch for signs in my students about stress or emotional problems. I know that students with autism have trouble understanding of flowing activities, so I would explain everything very clearly and let my students see the point and object of the assignments.
Autistic students need to be challenged and have goals just like all of my other students. I would find something my students are interested in and then introduce new and difficult tasks for a challenge. I will give my students choices, but only a couple of items to choose from. If I give my autistic student eight different colors to pick from, they might have trouble picking.
There are also small things to understand and do in a classroom with a student with autism. I will keep my voice low because loud noises irritate and frustrate these students. I am going to allow my student to stand or sit because many of them do better when allowed to stand. I will avoid physical contact; autistic children cannot properly interpret body contact. My classroom will not be over stimulating because I know that my student with autism will be able to concentrate better without loud music playing in the background. I will take advantage of my students’ strengths, if I find something that my student is very interested in, I am going to allow him or her to do a special project on that or even just read stories about what they are interested in.
As a teacher I would first make sure I knew as much as possible about autism. Autistic disorder (known also as infantile autism or childhood autism) almost always develops before the age of three and is characterized by impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, some form of repetitive and restricted stereotyped interest, ritual, or other behavior. Then I would look into a brief description of autism. Children with autism often have extreme difficulty developing normal relationships with others. They tend not to share in the interests their peers have. In many cases these children are not able to interpret non-verbal cues of communication like facial expressions. Most people with autism have some impairment in language and many never speak at all. Then I would look into symptoms of autism and with this knowledge begin to think how I could have this student be a part of my classroom. As they enter toddlerhood, it becomes increasingly apparent that these children have a world of their own. They do not play with other children or toys in the normal manner, rather they remain aloof and prefer to play alone. Parents often mention that their child is so undemanding that he or she is “too good”. Verbal and nonverbal communication skills, such as speech and facial expressions, develop peculiarly. Symptoms range from mutism to prolonged use of echoing or stilted language. When language is present, it is often concrete, unimaginative, and immature. Another symptom of autism is an extreme resistance to change of any kind. Autistic children tend to want to maintain established behavior patterns and a set environment. They develop rituals in play, oppose change (such as moving furniture), and may become obsessed with one particular topic. Other behavioral abnormalities that may be present are: staring at hands or flapping arms and hands, walking on tiptoe, rocking, tantrums, strange postures, unpredictable behavior and hyperactivity. An autistic child has poor judgment and is therefore always at risk for danger. For instance, an autistic child may run into a busy street without any sign of fear.
ReplyDeleteAfter researching autism, in order to include the new student with autism, I would arrange the desks into groups so the new kid would be included and since kids with autistic are always at a greater risk of danger to themselves I would have the have the student close by my desk as well. I will try my best to keep their attention on me when speaking and be repetitive of rules, and structure of my classroom. I feel that the unpredictable behaviors may happen more in the classroom because it is a new environment and as a teacher I will try and reduce these by making the classroom environment clam and collect.
I am a second grade teacher with 18 students in my classroom and I have just been informed that I have a student in my class that is mentally retarded. The first thing that I would do is research as much as I could about the child. I would need to know what about the child makes them mentally retarded. They could have autism, down syndrome, or have other issues that lead to this label. I would also need to know what level they are at. They may be, mentally at an age ranging from any age before a seven year old. I would need to figure out if they are able to communicate, and how they communicate. If they sign, I have a basic knowledge of that in order to communicate with them but I will need to brush up on it in order to communicate with this child. Basically, the first step would be to learn as much as I can about the child and their condition.
ReplyDeleteThe second step that I would take would be before the student came I would tell the class that we will be getting a new student in our class. I would prepare them for the fact that this student is different from them. In my class, I don't want the words stupid, retarded, dumb, or anything else that is mean about a persons learning ability being used. I will remind them of this rule before the student even starts in the class. I will also remind them how nervous they were on the first day of school, so they should be sure to be nice to the new student.
I will be sure that when I am explaining an assignment, which I break down the assignments into small steps for the mentally retarded student. I would tell them the step and when they finished I would tell them the next step if necessary. Visual aids will fill my lessons now because this helps the student learn better. I will also need to tweak my lesson plans so that I am sure that the new student will be able to do all of the assignments that are required. There will also be constant feedback between this student and I so that I can ensure that there is an understanding and improvement in the school work. If they have trouble with writing we will work on it together but for a journal I will let them draw instead of write, or write simple sentences. Also if there is a complicated writing assignment that I am giving to the class, I will let this student write me a couple of sentences and do a hands-on activity that shows that they are learning. I will also be doing more hands-on activities in the classroom because they learn better by seeing rather than lecturing.
The disability I have is deaf-blindness. It’s a condition where a person has little or no useful sight and little or no useful hearing. It is rare that a person with deaf-blindness would be completely blind and completely deaf. People who have a combined vision and hearing loss have unique communication, learning, and mobility challenges due to their dual sensory loss. A child with deaf-blindness usually had meningitis at age two, which caused their deaf-blindness. It occurs in three of 100,000 births. Helen Keller is an example of deaf-blindness. She is a perfect example of how someone with deaf-blindness can get through anything. She’s the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She’s also an author, political activist, and lecturer. (This information is from http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/SD-Deafblind.asp and Wikipedia)
ReplyDeleteAs for teaching a deaf-blind child in my classroom, I would use the following strategies. First, hand-over-hand guidance. It’s when an adult puts his or her hand over a child’s hand to help the child explore an object, act on an object, or make a gesture or sign. This would be perfect for me because I know a lot of sign language. Another strategy is hand-under-hand guidance. It’s the opposite of hand-over-hand, except the child can easily interact with the adult. Adapted signs is also another strategy. It involves how the sign is made and received by a deaf-blind child.
With this information, I will use these strategies with the child on one-on-one time when the other students are working by themselves. I could also have my aid help as well. Also, I could involve the other students in the classroom with me while I’m teaching the deaf-blind child as well so the child feels included in the classroom.
My new second grade student is hearing impaired. Hearing impairments occur when there is a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the ear. The degree of this can vary widely from person to person. Approximately 28 million Americans are hearing impaired. Some people have partial hearing loss, meaning that the ear can pick up some sounds. Other people have complete hearing loss, meaning that the ear cannot hear anything at all.
ReplyDeleteFor this student, I will want to make sure that I do everything I can in order to make sure that the student is confortable and able to succeed. In order to accomplish this, I found an awesome site that has a lot of facts and things teachers can do to help improve their learning environment. http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html
For this student, I will make sure that the student has a clear and direct view of my face and mouth. I also would learn a little bit of sign language to accommodate him/her. I would reduce all background noise and speak clearly and naturally. I'd use plenty of visual aids, written announcements, and hand out outlines of upcoming lectures. I'd incorporate flashcards into daily routines and have hands-on activities. I'd be sure to avoid any abbreviations and use short and simple sentences. This child has the same right as everyone else to succeed and I will see that he/she does.
There are several things that can be done in a second grade classroom for a student who is deaf or blind. To start out with, if a child who is deaf or blind will be joining the classroom, deafness or blindness needs to be talked about and explained to the class. This way being deaf or blind can be seen as different quality instead of something that is wrong. Students will be more open to accepting and helping instead of judging or ignoring the new student.
ReplyDeleteThe environment of the classroom can be changed to better suit your blind or deaf student as well. For a blind student, visual aids are very important. They should be used whenever possible. It is important for the student to have a visual concept because he/she will most likely have a four to five year vocabulary delay if he/she is deaf. The visual aids will help the student to have a mental concept. He/she may also benefit by having a “buddy” who can help him/her to gain clues on missed information. A teacher should also make sure that the window or other lighting is coming from behind the student. This way he/she will be able to have a clearer view on the teacher while the teacher is talking. The teacher should also make sure that he/she is looking directly at the student so the lips can be more easily read. If another student were to ask a question, you should make sure that you repeat the question asked before answering it. You could also repeat what is being said over the PA system if it is used in your school. A student also needs to be fully included in activities. You should give the information or instructions to your student ahead of time on how he/she will be interacting socially with the fellow students.
There are some things that need to be done for a student who is blind in addition to some of the things done for a student who is deaf. His/her desk should be set up so they can use it independently, and so that it is organized. The items should be within the child’s reach. You should also have large folders for the Braille sheets that the student will be using. Some other things that will help with the class environment are Sticky-Wikki, tactile dice, and Braille labelers. There are a lot of things that can be added to a classroom. One’s that will help a student with a disability have great importance.
The student that I have has orthopedic impairments. According to the Project Ideal website it is defined as a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. This contains a wide variety of disorders but can be summed into three categories: neuromotor impairments, degenerative diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I would do is figure out exactly what my child’s disorder was and how severe it was. Many students with orthopedic impairments have no cognitive, learning, perceptual, language, or sensory issues. The ones with neuromotor impairments have higher incidence of additional impairments. Learning for students with orthopedic impairments is mostly based on the accommodations necessary for the students to have academic instruction. I would take the advice from the Project Ideal website. It states that some accommodations that can be made are special seating arrangements to develop posture and movements, instruction focused on development of gross and fine motor skills, getting communication and other assistive devices, and being aware of the medical condition and how it affects the student.
Another thing that I would make sure to do is have assistive technology readily available. These devices are used to focus on aiding the students to access the educational material. Such devices are: speech recognition software, screen reading software, alternative communication devices, and academic software packages available for students with disabilities.
If the condition was worse it might call for help from specialists, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, adapted physical education teacher, etc. I would make sure that my students would all have the necessary means that they need in order to achieve the best education possible. I would also want to ensure that all of my students are as comfortable as possible. Being in a comfortable environment allows the students to successfully learn.
According to CAST (Curriculum Access for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities) http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_lowinc_section2.html students with low incidence disabilities including deafness and blindness do not generally ever exceed one percent of a student population. Keeping this in mind as teachers we must always be prepared to accommodate.
ReplyDeleteMy student is deaf/ blind. Visually impaired or blind students struggle in many different areas in the classroom. Consideration of the age of the onset of the disability must be taken into account. Students who have had a lifetime disability will adjust differently than a student who has recently suffered from the onset of blindness due to an accident or illness.
Familiarity with the layout of the classroom and the manipulation of spatial concepts that are necessary in the classroom are not available immediately to a blind student, but can be attained through repetition and consistency. The most difficult things that a blind student will not be able to benefit from are the visual cues from classmates, visual aids necessary to compliment a lesson, and the facial expressions of both the teacher and classmates. As a whole very few teachers are familiar with Braille and given the incidence of having a child with blindness as a disability teachers are not pressured to familiarize themselves with this necessary tool. My responsibility will include familiarizing myself with Braille and the availability.
Pre-lingual verses post-lingual deafness, audiometric hearing status (particularly in hearing speech with and without amplification) is imperative to know. The needs of a child that has a hearing disability and of a child who is completely deaf are distinct and must be treated as so in the classroom. Knowing in advance whether the student can successfully read lips, their fluency in sign language, and their verbal skills must all be evaluated.
According to the article, “Social and emotional development for hearing-impaired children depends heavily on their ability to use communication skills. In a classroom setting, students with hearing impairments may have difficulty following simple directions; may use impaired or unclear speech; may be more attentive to faces than to other informational cues during conversation; may avoid situations that require talking and listening; may be very sensitive to bright colors and objects; may be very aware of any change in decor; may have unusual reactions to loud, dull noises; may respond to vibrations of low-flying airplanes or heavy trucks; and may seem shy and withdrawn from other children (Wood, 2002). All of these behaviors can interfere with optimal social and emotional development.”
I will not be able to rely on verbal cues for my student who is deaf. I cannot assume that he or she is always listening/ seeing what is being taught because of facial expression. Lessons will need to be engaging both visually and verbally so that all of the students can be carried through.
A student who suffers from both deafness and blindness would be extremely challenged in an inclusive classroom. The lack of visual cues in combination with the lack of ability to communicate would more often than not isolate the child and cause him or her to be withdrawn from activities. The needs of this child would have to be carefully planned in order to find any success in the classroom participation level of the student. As with all research when trying to accommodate the needs of a child with disabilities seeking outside professional advice should always be included. No text book or article can serve as an end all be all support system for a teacher with a student with any disability. I will utilize any outside professional contacts that I have made over the years.
My student is deaf-blind. Deafblindness is a unique and diverse condition due to the wide range of sensory capabilities, possible presence of additional disabilities, and the age of onset for the vision and hearing loss. A child with deafblindness would include the infant who has a diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (a retinal condition that is associated with premature birth) and has an acquired hearing loss due to meningitis at age two. Another person with deafblindness may have been born with a profound hearing loss and developed a later vision loss such as retinitis pigmentosa. Deafblindness occurs in three of 100,000 births.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/SD-Deafblind.asp
There are over 70 known causes of deafblindness. Causes can be categorized into two groups: acquired(have had sight and hearing throughout most of their lives) and congenital (children born with the disability).
http://www.k12academics.com/disorders-disabilities/deafblindness/causes
First to accomidate for the student, ever component for the course must be reviewed to accommodate the student. This includes the syllabus, handouts, overheads, paper assignments, and even tests.
There are certain services that I could also use
to help the student learn. I could wear an Assistive Listenin device ( a small microphone device worn by the instructor that increases the volume and clarity for the student), increase the lighting for the student, have the student sit closer to the front of the room, or give the student a well organized personal area so they have enough room for all their accommodations.
Also, I would find it very important to teach your present students about the low incident disability. It would show them that the child who has the disability couldnt do anything to help what has happened to them. This can help the student from bullying and teasing. It is also gives the students a great learning opportunity about the causes and ways to communicate with this disability.
The student in my classroom has an orthopedic impairment. According to the website, http://www.projectidealonline.org/orthopedicImpairments.php, an orthopedic impairment is defined as a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Orthopedic impairments are generally classified in three main categories. The first, neuromotor impairments is an abnormality of, or damage to the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system that sends impulses to the muscles of the body. The two most common neuromotor impairments are cerebral palsy and spina bifida. The second category is degenerative disease. Degenerative diseases are composed of various conditions that affect motor development. The most common degenerative disease found in the school environment is muscular dystrophy. The third category is musculoskeletal disorders. They are disorders that are composed of various conditions that result in physical limitations. As with most students with disabilities, the classroom accommodations for students with orthopedic impairments will vary depending on the individual needs of the student. All students have very diverse learning styles and abilities and it is my job as the teacher to determine the most affective way to meet the needs of each student whether they have a disability or not. The website suggests that in order to better facilitate a student with an orthopedic impairment an educator should be aware of the medical condition and the affects that it has on the student. The seating arrangement in the classroom could also be an affective way to facilitate the best learning experience for the student. If the student's impairment requires it, I may have to adjust my instruction to focus on gross and fine motor skills. The student may require physical or occupational therapy which would remove the student from the classroom setting and I may have to adjust my instruction time so that the student doesn't miss crucial material. I should make sure that the necessary handicap accessibilities are available in my classroom and in the school to accommodate my student, such as bathroom, ramps or elevators. Most students with orthopedic impairments have no cognitive, language, or learning impairments and therefore should be included in the general curriculum as much as possible. The most important issue a teacher faces having a student with orthopedic impairments will be focusing on the accommodations necessary for the student to be successfully incorporated into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMy student is mentally retarded. According to http://www.tahperd.org, public schools define mental retardation as significantly sub average general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Mental retardation can be mild or moderate, in which, compared to their “normal” peers, their brain develops ¼ - ½ to ½ - ¾ as much, respectively. It is also possible for a child to have severe mental retardation, in which they mentally develop no more than ¼ of the level of “normal” children.
ReplyDeleteSome suggested tips were to keep instruction periods short, teach in small groups, use few and simple words to maximize demonstrations, over teach cognitive information, and provide opportunities for the students to choose their activities. Additional suggested strategies were to use partners in activities, emphasize range of motion exercises, and provide a well-rounded program of fitness and motor activities based on each student’s present level of performance and developmental psychomotor needs. Some other important things to note are to teach safety often putting emphasis on cause and effect relationships, check for skill retention often, put them in leader roles (when it is appropriate), and offer activities that provide initial success.
From looking at http://www.mentalhelp.net/ I learned that individuals with mental retardation benefit from many of the same teaching strategies as children with learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, and autism. One suggested strategy is to break tasks down to one-step at a time so your student does not get overwhelmed. Visual aids will also benefit the student so they can see what is expected of them. In addition, immediate feedback is very important. Students need feedback to make a connection between questions, answers, or behaviors, and teacher’s responses.
One of the most important things is to make sure that the student feels comfortable in my classroom, and to design my lessons so they can participate and be an important part of the class.
I have a student who has an orthopedic Impairment. Orthopedic Impairments means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. This term can include sever impairments due to a congenital anomaly. This can include a missing of a limb, club foot, or other impairments such as cerebral palsy, amputations, fractures, and burn victims. It involves the skeletal system, joints, limbs, bones and muscles. Orthopedic problems may vary, but most students have issues using their arms, hands, and legs. They may also have limited movement. Having as much information about this child’s impairment, will help the educator find ways to make this child’s learning experience easier and more enjoyable. Also educating the classroom of other students about diversity will also help. I also read about placing a buddy system in the classroom, to have the students helping one another and at the same time helping the student with his/her impairment. The buddy system teaches the importance of helping and at the same time doesn’t make the child that is impaired feel singled out.
ReplyDeleteI have a student with cerebral palsy in my classroom. Cerebral palsy in children affects their muscles, movements, learning, growth, and overall development. My stepbrother has cerebral palsy, and the most important thing that I learned about it is that people should treat them as if they did not have a disability at all. My parents, when we were growing up, gave him the same chores around the house as the rest of us kids. He had to do dishes, clean his room, help with cleaning up after dinner, laundry, cleaning bathrooms, etc. I think that is something that I would like to enforce in my classroom, if I were to have a student with cerebral palsy. The student would have the same responisibilities as everyone else. However, my step brother did not develop in his academics as the rest of us did. He was in the special education classroom, but was in some of the "regular" classes, such as Child Development and Gym classes. I think that is very important for the student, to be able to be around the students who did not have disabilities. Also, my parents encouraged him to go out and find an actual job, and I think it is great that they did that. I want my student to know that there are job placement locations and things that they can do. For example, my step brother was very into electronics and music, he could put together stereo systems and knew a lot about wiring and televisions that I had no idea about. I want my students to be able to work hands-on with the things that they enjoy so that they can develop their skills and use them to find a career.
ReplyDeleteOverall, students need to be challenged and feel equal to others in school, and at home. They should not feel that just because they have a disability, they are uncapable of anything. All they need is a little more time for development! I hope that when I become a teacher, I can motivate students with disabilities to achieve what they want to in life, and teach others not to discriminate.