Transcript Physical Disabilities - Michigan Crossroads Council


Legal Definition:
› a condition which prevents one from
performing all usual physical functions. This
usually means a permanent state, like
blindness, but in some cases it is temporary.

Medical Definition:
› inability to function normally

IDEA refers to physical disabilities as:
› orthopedic impairment, and in C.F.R. Sec 300.7 states:
 "Orthopedic impairment means a severe
orthopedic impairment that adversely
affects a child's educational performance.
The term includes impairments caused by
congenital anomaly (e.g. clubfoot,
absence of some member, etc.),
impairments cause by disease (e.g.,
poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and
impairments from other causes (e.g.,
cerebral palsy, amputations and fractures
or burns that cause contractures).
•
Cerebral Palsy
•
– Spastic
•
– Ataxic
– Athedoid
– Mixed
•
– Quadriplegia
• Acquired Brain
– Hemiplegia
– Diplegia
Spina Bifida
Muscular
Dystrophy
Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI)
Injury (ABI)
•
Seizures
Cerebral Palsy is a medical condition
that affects control of the muscles.
 Caused by an injury to the brain before,
during, or shortly after birth.

› Cause is usually unknown
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Children with CP:
› may not be able to walk, talk, eat or play in
the same ways as most other kids.
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Cerebral palsy is not a disorder with a single
cause, like chicken pox or measles. It is a group
of disorders with similar problems in control of
movement, but probably with a variety of
causes
Congenital cerebral palsy, results from brain
injury during intra-uterine life
Acquired cerebral palsy results from brain
damage in the first few months or years of life
and can follow brain infections, such as
bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, or the
results of head injury -- most often from a motor
vehicle accident, a fall, or child abuse
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_generaldoc.cfm/1/9/37/37-37/447
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3 Types of Spina Bifida are:
› Spina Bifida Occulta: There is an opening in one or more of
the vertebrae (bones) of the spinal column without apparent
damage to the spinal cord.
› Meningocele: The protective covering around the spinal
cord, has pushed out through the opening in the vertebrae in
a sac called the "meningocele." However, the spinal cord
remains intact. This form can be repaired with little or no
damage to the nerve pathways.
› Myelomeningocele: This is the most severe form of spina
bifida, in which a portion of the spinal cord itself protrudes
through the back. In some cases, sacs are covered with skin;
in others, tissue and nerves are exposed. Generally, people
use the terms "spina bifida" and "myelomeningocele"
interchangeably. - from NICHCY
The exact cause of spina bifida remains a
mystery
 No one knows what disrupts complete
closure of the neural tube, causing a
malformation to develop.

› Scientists suspect genetic, nutritional, and
environmental factors play a role.

Research studies indicate that insufficient
intake of folic acid—a common B vitamin
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/
detail_spina_bifida.htm
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3 Common Features:
› they are hereditary
› they are progressive
› each causes a characteristic
Most well known of the muscular
dystrophies is Duchenne muscular
dystrophy (DMD)
 Next most well known is Becker muscular
dystrophy (BMD)

All of the muscular dystrophies are inherited
and involve a mutation in one of the
thousands of genes that program proteins
critical to muscle integrity
 The body's cells don't work properly when a
protein is altered or produced in insufficient
quantity
 Many cases of MD occur from spontaneous
mutations that are not found in the genes
of either parent, and this defect can be
passed to the next generation

Occurs to a person who is developing
normally and then suffers an assault
 Must occur before adulthood to acquire
the label of TBI
 Caused by a blow or jolt to the head or
a penetrating head injury that disrupts
the normal function of the brain

› Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI

Severity of TBI can range from “mild” to
“severe”

TBI may be the result of an injury
› Falls (28%)
› Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%)
› Struck by/against events (19%)
› Assaults (11%)
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Also may be caused by:
› An accident
› Drowning
› Being resuscitated
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ABI may also result from an illness:
› Stroke
› High temperature
› Seizures
› Illness that cuts off oxygen to the brain
› Tumor
› Brain surgery
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ABI is not considered an eligible part of
special ed services
› Because of this, these students are classified as TBI
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Common causes are:
› airway obstruction
› near drowning
› choking
› injuries in which the
chest has been
crushed
› electrical shock
› lightening strike
› trauma to the head or
neck
› blood loss
› artery impingement
› shock
› heart attack
› stroke,
› aneurysm
› intracranial surgery
› vascular disruption
› infections diseases
› intracranial tumors
› metabolic disorders
› meningitis
› some venereal diseases
› insect-carried diseases
› AIDS
› hypo or hyperglycemia
› hepatic encephalopathy
› uremic encephalopathy
› seizure disorders
› toxic exposures to chemical and
gases
Damage to the
frontal lobe can
cause
paralysis
Damage to the
cerebellum can
cause the lack
of the ability to
coordinate fine
movements as
well as the
ability to walk
http://www.neuroskills.com/brain.shtml

What is a seizure?
› An abnormal movement or behavior due to
unusual electrical activity in the brain

Most commonly thought of as a
symptom of epilepsy, but not all people
who have seizures have epilepsy
› Epilepsy is a group of related disorders
characterized by a tendency for recurrent
seizures.

Provoked seizures (epileptic) can be
caused by:
›
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›
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Trauma
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Low blood sodium
High fever, or
Alcohol or drug abuse
Non-epileptic seizures can be caused
by:
› psychological issues or
› stress
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Cerebral Palsy
› It is estimated that some 764,000 children and adults in the
United States manifest one or more of the symptoms of
cerebral palsy. Currently, about 8,000 babies and infants
are diagnosed with the condition each year. In addition,
some 1,200 - 1,500 preschool age children are recognized
each year to have cerebral palsy

Spina Bifida
› One of the most common birth defects, with an average
worldwide incidence of 1-2 cases per 1000 births

Muscular Dystrophy
› Approx. 1 in every 3,500 to 5,000 boys, or between 400
and 600 live male births each year in the United States

Traumatic Brain Injury
› Approx. 1.4 million sustain a TBI each year in the US alone

Seizures
› 0.5% to 1%
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Movement is based on the
principles behind the
universal design movement
for access to products and
environments for all users,
regardless of sensory or
physical disabilities
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/
Differentiating instruction provides
teachers with tools to construct
instruction and modify curriculum that is
compatible with how students learn and
perform in classrooms
 The best possible learning environment
for students with disabilities is in a
classroom where differentiated
instruction is the norm and not how IDEA
suggests
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YOU are a very important person in this
child's life.
Be patient, willing and warm at all times.
Use grade appropriate materials.
Identify some clear goals/expectations
Be consistent
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Have predictable routines for everything you
do.
Make sure that everything is relevant to the
child you are working with.
Track progress carefully to define readiness
for the next milestone.
http://specialed.about.com/
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Physically handicapped children long to be normal and
be seen as normal as much as possible.
› Focus on what they can do at all times.
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Find out what the child's strengths are and capitalize on
them.
› These children need to feel successful too!
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Keep your expectations high.
› This child is capable of achieving.
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Never accept rude remarks, name calling or teasing from
other children.
Compliment appearance from time to time.
Make adjustments and accommodations whenever
possible to enable this child to participate.
Never pity the physically handicapped child, they do not
want your pity.
Take the opportunity when the child is absent to teach the
rest of the class about physical handicaps.
Take frequent 1 to 1 time with the child to make sure that
he/she is aware that you're there to help when needed.
http://legaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com
 http://medicaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com/
 http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/cl
ass/advanced/Physicaldisabilities.html
 http://www.webmd.com/
 http://www.brighthub.com/education/
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