for higher education teachers and students

1. PHYSICALDISABILITIES,
HEALTHIMPAIRMENTS,&
ADHD
Trevour Smith
SPE-526
Grand Canyon
University

2. Children with physical disabilities and health conditions
who require special education are served under two of the
IDEA disability categories: orthopedic impairments (and
neuromotor impairments)and other health impairments.

3. DISABILITY CATEGORIES:
*Health Impairment: “A chronic or acute health problem such that the
physiological capacity to function is significantly limited or impaired and results in
one or more of the following: limited strength, vitality or alertness including a
heightened alertness to environmental stimuli resulting in limited alertness with
respect to the educational environment. The term shall include health impairments
due to asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit with hyperactivity
disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning,
leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette
syndrome, if such health impairment adversely affects a student's educational
performance”. (MA DOE)

4. CATEGORIES CONTINUED
Physical Impairment: “The physical capacity to move, coordinate
actions, or perform physical activities is significantly limited, impaired, or
delayed and is exhibited by difficulties in one or more of the following
areas: physical and motor tasks; independent movement; performing
basic life functions. The term shall include severe orthopedic
impairments or impairments caused by congenital anomaly, cerebral
palsy, amputations, and fractures if such impairment adversely affects
a student's educational performance”. (MA DOE)

5. IMPAIRMENT
DEFINITION
S:
*Orthopedic Impairment: Impairment of the skeletal system- bones, joints, limbs, and associated
muscles.
*Neuromotor Impairment: Involves the central nervous system, affecting the ability to
move, use, feel, or control certain parts of the body.
*Other Health Impairments: A disability category in the IDEA Act under which a child is eligible
for special education; includes diseases and special health conditions that affect a child’s
educational activities and performance such as cancer, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. (ADHD is also
included in this category).

6. IMPAIRMENTS CONTINUED
*Chronic/Acute Conditions: Chronic conditions are long-lasting, most
often permanent conditions (cerebral palsy is an example) where are
acute conditions may produce severe and debilitating symptoms but it is
of limited duration.
*ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): Diagnostic
category of the American Psychiatric Association for a condition in which
a child exhibits developmentally inappropriate inattention, impulsivity, and
hyperactivity.

7. CAUSES
Hundreds of physical impairments and health conditions
can adversely affect children’s education performance.
A few include: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular
dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, epilepsy and diabetes.

8. PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT
CAUSES
Cerebral palsy: Permanent condition resulting from a lesion to the
brain or an abnormality of brain growth. Many diseases can
affect the developing brain and lead to cerebral palsy. Also
attributed to the occurrence of injuries, accidents or illnesses that are
before birth, at or near the time of birth or soon after birth and result in
decreased oxygen to low-birth-weight newborn.
Spina bifida: Congenital malformation of the spine in which the
vertebrae that normally protect the spine do not develop fully

9. PHYSICAL CONTINUED
 Muscular dystrophy: Refers to a group of 40 inherited diseases
marked by progressive atrophy (wasting away) of the body’s
muscles.
 Spinal cord injuries: Result of a lesion to the spinal cord caused by
a penetrating injury, stretching the vertebral column, fracture of
the vertebrae or compression of the spinal cord. The most
common causes include: motor vehicle accidents, acts of
violence, falls and sports.

10. HEALTH IMPAIRMENT
CAUSES
Epilepsy: The cause of epilepsy for approximately 30% of cases is identified from among at least 50 different
conditions known to result in seizure activity, such as cerebral palsy; infections of the brain or nervous system;
metabolic disorders; high fever; an underlying lesion; interruption in blood supply
to the brain or rough handling of a baby (shaken baby syndrome).
Diabetes: Type 1 is caused by having insufficient insulin (a hormone normally produced by the pancreas and
necessary for the metabolism of glucose). Type 2 is the result of insulin resistance (the
body failing to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency.
Cystic fibrosis: Genetic disease of children and adolescents in which the body’s exocrine glands
excrete thick mucus that can block the lungs and parts of the digestive system. May result from a missing
chemical or substance in the body.

11. HEALTH CAUSES…
AIDS: Caused by HIV which is found in the bodily fluids of an
infected person. HIV is transmitted from one person to another
through sexual contact and blood-to-blood contact.
ADHD: Specific causes are unknown, but many consider ADHD to
be a neurologically based disorder. Significant evidence
indicates that genetic factors may place individuals at a greater- than-
normal risk of an ADHD

12. CHARACTERISTICS/STRATEGIES
Parallel curriculum for students with physical and
health impairments includes adaptive methods and
assistive technologies for mobility, communication and
daily living tasks

13. CONTACTS AND AIDS
Students with physical disabilities and health
impairments come into contact with more types of
teachers, physicians, therapists and other specialists
than any other group of exceptional children.

14. TYPES OF STRATEGIES
There are Roughly Three main strategies teachers can you use to
help aid in the education of students with special needs
• Environmental
• Technological
• Animal

15. ENVIRONMENTAL
Environmental modifications are necessary to enable a
student with physical and health impairments to participate
more fully and independently at school. These modifications
include: adaptations to provide increased access to a task or
an activity, changing the way in which instruction is delivered
and change the matter in which the task is done.

16. TECHNOLOGICAL
Assistive technology: Any systematic method based on
scientific principles for accomplishing a task or purpose.
IDEA defines assistive technology as both assistive
technology devices and the services needed to help a child
obtain and effectively use the devices.

17. ANIMAL
Animal assistance: Guide dogs for individuals who are
blind, hearing dogs to help people who are deaf and dogs
who can carry books or other objects in saddlebags (helper
or service dogs). Monkeys have
also been trained to serve as personal care attendants for
people with disabilities.

18. GUIDANCE/PARENTS
The aid and support of the students parents can prove to very
valuable as well, as a collective team, they can work with the teacher
Creating an Individualized health care plan (IHCP): Part of
the student’s IEP and can help state specialized medical
attention students may need.

19. REFERENCES
"Disability Definitions and Related Links - Special Education."
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education. 30 Oct. 2000. Web. 25 August. 2014.
<http:// www.doe.mass.edu/sped/definitions.html>.
Heward, William L. Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special
Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson, 2009. Print.