Biotechnology is poised to become one of the most valuable scientific revolutions of the 21st century. Because the field is developing so quickly, the gap between expert and non-expert knowledge is increasing at a time when societal decisions about it are becoming more and more important. Use evidence-based responses to the discussion questions below:  1) Should we or should we not label GMOs?  2) Should genetically engineered plants and animals be prohibited?  Research these biotechnology applications before responding and justify your position toward each question.  As always, your main response should be a minimum of 150 words, and your substantial reply at least 100 words. [removed] Students with neurological problems may need special education services, adaptation of physical facilities, knowledge of special equipment, use of technology, and modification of curricular activities. Conditions such as TBI, cerebral palsy, and the like, have neurological foundations that impact the students’ speech-language skills, and ultimately, academic performance. Communication deficits may be part of another condition in which the student has motor impairments, perceptual difficulties, cognitive deficits, behavioral problems, etc. Problems may be subtle or highly noticeable. 1 2 3 4 CP – a disorder of voluntary movement and posture. No clear relationship (if any) between the degree of motor impairment and degree of intellectual impairment 5 Cerebral palsy is often associated with other disabilities. It is not unusual to find children with cerebral palsy who also have hearing or vision problems or who have intellectual impairments. We know that all these conditions can adversely affect language. 6 Children with cerebral palsy are at significant risk for speech and language difficulties. The speech difficulties of children with cerebral palsy are extremely heterogeneous and depend, to a great extent, on the specific nature of the physical disability. Individuals with cerebral palsy may have speech production difficulties in one or several areas, including respiration (e.g., rapid, shallow breathing), phonation (inadequate airflow), resonation (hypernasality), and articulation. Articulation is often affected because of difficulty controlling the tongue, lips, or mouth. Differences in early development may have an impact on language. Studies of the interactions between children with cerebral palsy and their parents has shown a pattern of conversational dominance by parents and child passivity. Typically, parents have been reported to initiate most conversational exchanges, introduce topics, ask many closed questions, and issue many commands. Children tend to reply with limited information and fail to take a similar number of turns, to initiate an equal number of exchanges, or to use a full range of pragmatic functions. Children with cerebral palsy who have better speech intelligibility have been foun.

1. Biotechnology is poised to become one of the most valuable
scientific revolutions of the 21st century. Because the field is
developing so quickly, the gap between expert and non-expert
knowledge is increasing at a time when societal decisions about
it are becoming more and more important.
Use evidence-based responses to the discussion questions
below:
1) Should we or should we not label GMOs?
2) Should genetically engineered plants and animals be
prohibited?
Research these biotechnology applications before responding
and justify your position toward each question.
As always, your main response should be a minimum of 150
words, and your substantial reply at least 100 words.
[removed]
Students with neurological problems may need special
education services, adaptation of
physical facilities, knowledge of special equipment, use of
technology, and modification of
curricular activities. Conditions such as TBI, cerebral palsy,
and the like, have neurological
foundations that impact the students’ speech-language skills,
and ultimately, academic
performance. Communication deficits may be part of another
condition in which the student
has motor impairments, perceptual difficulties, cognitive
deficits, behavioral problems, etc.
Problems may be subtle or highly noticeable.
1

2. 2
3
4
CP – a disorder of voluntary movement and posture. No clear
relationship (if any) between
the degree of motor impairment and degree of intellectual
impairment
5
Cerebral palsy is often associated with other disabilities. It is
not unusual to find children with
cerebral palsy who also have hearing or vision problems or who
have intellectual
impairments. We know that all these conditions can adversely
affect language.
6
Children with cerebral palsy are at significant risk for speech

3. and language difficulties. The
speech difficulties of children with cerebral palsy are extremely
heterogeneous and depend, to
a great extent, on the specific nature of the physical disability.
Individuals with cerebral palsy
may have speech production difficulties in one or several areas,
including respiration (e.g.,
rapid, shallow breathing), phonation (inadequate airflow),
resonation (hypernasality), and
articulation. Articulation is often affected because of difficulty
controlling the tongue, lips, or
mouth.
Differences in early development may have an impact on
language. Studies of the interactions
between children with cerebral palsy and their parents has
shown a pattern of conversational
dominance by parents and child passivity. Typically, parents
have been reported to initiate
most conversational exchanges, introduce topics, ask many
closed questions, and issue many
commands. Children tend to reply with limited information and
fail to take a similar number
of turns, to initiate an equal number of exchanges, or to use a
full range of pragmatic
functions. Children with cerebral palsy who have better speech
intelligibility have been found
to initiate more conversations and to use their communication
for a wider range of functions
compared with nonspeaking children.
Kuder, S. Jay. Teaching Students with Language and
Communication Disabilities (The
Pearson Communication Sciences and Disorders Series) (p.
191). Pearson Education. Kindle

4. 7
Edition.
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8
Other neuromotor disorders, such as spina bifida can also affect
language acquisition and
development. Spina bifida refers to a group of conditions in
which a portion of the spinal cord
is not completely enclosed by the vertebrae in the spinal
column. In some cases, part of the
spinal cord protrudes. In the most serious form of the disorder,
myelomeningocele, damage to
the spinal cord can cause sensory and motor losses. In addition,
in about 80 percent of the
cases, fluid accumulates in the brain, causing the condition
known as hydrocephalus. If not
treated quickly, hydrocephalus can cause Intellectual
disabilities. Surgery can often correct the
spinal cord abnormality in spinal bifida, but some sensory and
motor disabilities can remain.
Impairments in language are characteristic of many children
with spina bifida, especially those
who also have hydrocephalus. Although children with spina
bifida often have strengths
involving vocabulary and grammar, difficulties with the use of

5. language in context have
frequently been reported. Sometimes called the “cocktail
chatter” phenomenon, their
communicative interactions have been described as “chatty”
conversations that remain at a
superficial level. In addition, although their speech may be
fluent and well-articulated, it may
include verbal perseveration, excessive use of stereotyped
social utterances, and
overfamiliarity.
Many children with spina bifida have difficulties with academic
skills including math and
reading comprehension. Although children with hydrocephalus
(which is associated with a
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number of neurological disorders, not just spina bifida)
typically have good vocabulary and
word attack skills, they have difficulty making inferences,
understanding literal story content,
and producing their own stories.
9
For no other group of exceptional learners is the continuum of
educational services and
placement options more relevant than for those with neuromotor
or neurological disorders.
Some students require a complex and coordinated array of
specialized instruction, therapy, and

6. related services. In addition, the transdisciplinary approach is
beneficial for students with
physical disabilities.
10
Environmental modifications are frequently necessary to allow a
student to participate more
fully and independently in school. Modifications include
wheelchair-accessible classrooms or
other assistive technology. IDEA defines assistive technology
(AT) as devices and services
needed to obtain and effectively use devices. A service is any
resource that directly assists with
the selection, acquisition, or use of an AT device. Adapted
eating utensils, computerized
speech devices, and telecommunication devices are all examples
of AT.
One major consideration in the education of students with
physical impairments is the physical
environment of the classroom. For some students with mobility
problems, this may be the
prime area in which modifications must be made. Teachers must
ensure that the physical
layout is suitably arranged to accommodate students with
physical impairments.
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12

7. 13
The effects of TBI on learning and behavior are determined by
the severity of the injury and
the part of the brain that sustained damage. Although people
with brain injuries make
significant improvements during the first two years post-injury
and continue to improve at a
more gradual pace for many years, most will have permanent
physical, behavioral, and/or
cognitive impairments.
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15
Students with TBI experience a wide variety of learning and
psychosocial characteristics.
Moreover, physical and sensory changes also are common. The
specific effect of the injury is
dependent on the age of the student, the severity and location of
the injury, and the time since
the injury. Some individuals experience minimal changes,
whereas others experience drastic
changes. Learning and behavioral difficulties may persist long
after the child has physically
recovered.

8. Many children with TBI experience losses in language skills.
Children who lose language
functioning as a result of brain injury are said to have acquired
aphasia. In other words, they
have lost some language functions that they had acquired
earlier. Language difficulties
resulting from TBI can involve expressive language, receptive
language, or both and can range
from mild to severe. Two aspects of language have most
frequently been reported to be
affected by brain injuries: syntax and pragmatic skills.
Nevertheless, many with TBI are able
to recover much of their language functioning within 2 years
after their injury.
In addition to impacting language and communication
development, brain injuries can also
have an impact on literacy skills. Children with traumatic brain
injuries have been found to
score significantly lower than age-, gender-, and race-matched
uninjured children on
achievement tests of reading, language, and mathematics.
16
Students who have experienced a TBI often re-enter school with
deficits from their injuries
compounded by their extended absence from school. These
students are likely to require
comprehensive programs of academic, psychological, and
family support.
17

9. It is important that instructional strategies for students with TBI
are carefully planned,
systematically executed, and continuously monitored for
effectiveness.
18
Ten elements that should be part of an educational program for
children with TBI include:
1. Maximally controlled environment. The child may need a
highly structured environment
where distraction is reduced.
2. Low pupil–teacher ratio. It may be necessary to provide a
classroom aide or other
assistant to work with the child.
3. Intensive and repetitive instruction. The brain-injured child
often needs more time to
learn. Reducing nonacademic activities and lengthening the
school year can provide more
learning time.
4. Emphasis on process. The child may need to be helped in
learning how to learn.
Instruction should include help in sustaining attention and on
memory.
5. Behavioral programming. Instructional strategies that use
task analysis and careful
measurement of progress have been found to be successful.

10. 6. Integrated instructional therapies. Integrate allied therapies
such as speech and physical
therapy into the student’s primary instructional setting to
facilitate generalization and
transfer of skills.
7. Simulation experiences. Use simulations to enable the child
to transfer skills to a new
setting.
8. Cuing, fading, and shadowing. Students may require cues to
respond, which should be
faded as soon as possible. When shadowing, the teacher closely
monitors the child
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attempting a new task or moving to a new environment.
9. Readjustment counseling. This may help the child adjust to
his or her new environment
and abilities.
10. Home-school liaison. It is essential to build and maintain a
strong link between parents
and the school.
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