Disability_Areas

Disability Areas ESE 633 Ashford University Professor: Cynthia Martinek September 9, 2013 Shayna Fairley-Clark According to the Learning Disability Association a learning disability is a disorder that impairs a child's ability to learn, despite the presence of an at least average intelligence. Students with learning disability process information differently than non-disabled students. Children with learning disabilities may have a strength in one area of learning while displaying a deficit in another area. A learning disability is a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes that may manifest itself as an imperfect ability in certain areas of learning, such as reading, written expression, or mathematics. I learned that learning disabilities can affect other areas of a person’s life besides just education. Learning disabilities do not disappear once the student graduates. This disability is an impairment that may have an influence on all areas of an individual’s life. It is important to ensure that students with learning disabilities receive the services and accommodations that are needed for their success. These accommodations will benefit the student beyond their education years by assisting with participation in society. This information impacts my teaching practices by opening up my thought process as to the skills the students will need to function in society. Activities involving social skills, daily living skills, and career preparation need to be incorporated in classroom learning in some aspect. Teachers tend to focus just on academics because of accountability. Teachers want the students to gain information needed in order to pass standardized tests. The transition plan part of the IEP usually focuses on these skills, but we usually leave this up to the guidance counselor or the vocational coordinator. At the IEP meetings and treatment team meetings I would put more emphasis on focusing on different skills in the classroom that will benefit the student outside of school. “Emotional disturbances are those that occur over an extended period and prevent children from succeeding educationally or socially in a school setting. They are characterized by one or more of the following: •An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. •An inability to create or sustain reciprocal relationships with peers and teachers. •Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings in typical situations or environments. •A pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. •Frequent occurrences of physical symptoms or fears attached to personal or school problems” (Mastropieri &Scruggs 2010). I have been working with emotionally disturbed students for thirteen years, so I have seen it all. One thing that I did learn in researching emotional disorders is genetic predisposition. Genetic predisposition describes the likelihood that a particular characteristic present in the parents will be present in their child. According to Bauer & Shea (2010), Researchers have yet to identify the particular gene responsible for the trait (characteristic), but likelihood suggests that some emotional/behavioral disorders may be inherited, or, "run in families." For example, it is estimated that 30% of fathers and 20% of mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have the disorder themselves. This information would affect my teaching practices by allowing me to communicate more with the parents about their educational background and how they functioned in the school setting. Teachers rely on parents for input on the student’s themselves. I would encourage the therapists who work with the students at our facility to become more in depth with information regarding the parent’s education. As of now the parents just fill out a form circling the highest grade level completed. This information can be used to get a better understanding of the student and devise some strategies that are successful. According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, intellectual disability is defined as a person that has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. From my research on intellectual disabilities I learned that the unemployment rate for these individuals is higher than non-disabled individuals. According to Yoder the unemployment rate for intellectually disabled is 14% and non disabled is 9% . Most of our intellectually disabled students at the facility in which I work will not further their education past high school. Community services and supports should be introduced to these students before they graduate. These students should be familiar with the resources that are available to them to help them transition after high school. For these students the transition plan component of the IEP is very important. All staff and parents involved with the student should help develop the transition plan. Autism is defined as a complex neurobehavioral disorder that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills and rigid, repetitive behaviors according to Autism Speaks (2013). Recognizing the early signs of autism and seeking early intervention services is very important according to the Autism Speaks' multi-year Ad Council public service advertising campaign. I learned that cooperative learning groups work well for students with Autism. The autistic students that I have had in my classes over the years have preferred to work alone, but without much academic success. A research study conducted by Debra Kamps showed an increase in reading levels, academic engagement, and peer interaction during implementation of cooperative learning groups. Cooperative learning should be the foundation for activities in the classroom when dealing with autistic students. Groups should be formed according to the needs of the autistic student. This will help the student socially. The groups should benefit the student and not be another obstacle for the student. Each disability discussed requires social skill to be enhanced in order to succeed in the classroom and society. “Just as academics require direct skill instruction, socialization often requires direct skill instruction for many students with disabilities. Accountability, accommodations and data are not exclusive to academics” (Karten 2011). References Autism Speaks (2013). Learn the Signs of Autism. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/learn-signs Bauer & Shea (2010). Biological Issues Related to Emotional/Behavior Disorders. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/biological-issues-related-emotional Kamps, Debra (1995). Cooperative Learning Groups in Reading: An Integration Strategy for students with Autism and General Classroom Peers. Behavioral Disorders, v21 n1 p89-109 Karten, T.J. (2011). Inclusion strategies &interventions. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Learning Disability Association (2012). LDA Position Statement. Retrieved from http://www.ldanatl.org/about/position/papers/LDA-Position-Statement_What-Are-Learning-Disabilities Mastropieri, Scruggs (2010). Emotional Disturbance. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/emotional-disturbance/ National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2011). Intellectual Disability. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/intellectual http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/understanding-autism-basics http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/learn-signs :Yoder (2013). Simplifying hiring for disabled. Retrieved formhttp://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-21/local/37229390_1_disabilities-persons-mental-retardation