Developmental Disabilities

1. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
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Developmental Disabilities: Causes and
Classifications
Chapter 5
Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
5-1 Specify several possible causes of developmental differences and give
examples of causes both prior to and after birth.
5-2 Describe and understand the classifications of developmental
disabilities.

3. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Causes of Developmental Differences
Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

4. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Biological Factors
Genetic Disorders
Abnormal biological
development may be
caused by deviations in
chromosomal structure or
by abnormal single genes
• Autosomal dominant gene
• Autosomal recessive gene
disorder
• Sex-linked gene disorder
Syndromes
Groupings of similar
characteristics known as
stigmata
• Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome
Metabolic Disorders
Cause a breakdown
somewhere in the complex
chemical activities needed
to metabolize food
The breakdown can destroy,
damage, or alter cells.
• Single-gene defects, such
as PKU

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Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Abnormal Gene Disorders
Tay-Sachs—An accumulation of fatty tissues around the brain that eventually
leads to death
Cystic fibrosis—A buildup of mucus in the lungs, which makes it difficult to
breathe. Breakthrough medical treatments are now helping these individuals
live longer and more productive lives.
Sickle-cell anemia—Red blood cells are not formed correctly, making it difficult
to navigate the bloodstream. It is often accompanied by joint pain and ulcers.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy—Present in males where the muscles
deteriorate

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Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Prenatal Infections and Intoxicants (1 of 2)
Rubella—Leads to devastating lifelong and severe disabilities
CMV virus—Children appear typical at birth. Later in life, they develop
intellectual disabilities, deafness, and diseases of the eye.
Herpes simplex—Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
AIDS—Can be passed to the unborn child through the birth canal or breast
milk and leaves a child’s immune system helpless to fight off disease.
Diabetes—High risk for developmental problems in children.
Preeclampsia (toxemia)—Complications that can lead to death in mother and
infant.

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Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Prenatal Infections and Intoxicants (2 of 2)
Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Any chemical substance during pregnancy, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes,
can damage the unborn infant.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
• Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE)
Poor Nutrition
• Lack of protein can lead to low birth weight, illness, and higher risk of death in first year of
infant’s life
• Poor nutrition can also damage the developing brain and nervous system.

8. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Causes Surrounding Birth
Birth Complications
• Lack of oxygen to the brain—anoxia can
occur.
• Premature babies can suffer
hemorrhaging.
• C-sections may need to be performed if
the life of the mother or infant is in
danger.
Complications Following Birth
• Meningitis
• Viral or bacterial infection that causes
inflammation of the protective covering of
the brain and the spinal column, which can
lead to brain damage.
• Encephalitis
• Swelling of the brain can lead to brain
damage.
• Lead poisoning

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Poverty
Nutritional deficiency
• WIC was designed to eliminate some of the effects of poverty.
• WIC provides funds to pregnant people and parents to purchase healthy foods.
Inadequate health care and education
• Many pregnant people cannot seek out prenatal care for financial or insurance reasons,
increasing the risk for premature labor and other complications.
Homelessness and substandard housing
• Exposure to hazardous conditions or contaminants in the environment can cause health
problems.
Single-Parent Families
• Tend to work multiple jobs, needing to accommodate child care or leave their children
unattended.

10. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Classifications of Developmental Disabilities
Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

11. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Case Study
At age 3½, Jodie was talking very little, seemed incapable of following simple
directions, and had few play skills. She scored low on an IQ test and was
placed in a segregated preschool for children who are intellectually disabled.
It was not until age 7 that a hearing disability was discovered. Between 3½
and 7—crucial developmental years—Jodie functioned as a child who was
intellectually disabled. Why? Because she had been labeled as intellectually
disabled and consequently had not been identified as a candidate for deaf
education services.
In addition to discontinuing categorical funding for children ages birth to
six, what other safeguards are currently in place to help prevent a
recurrence of Jodie’s situation, or something similar?

12. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Specific Disability Terms from the IDEIA
Regulations
• Autism
• Deaf-blindness
• Deafness
• Developmental delay
• Emotional disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Specific learning disability
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment, including
blindness

13. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
A Final Thought on Categories
• Each category describes a condition that makes a student eligible for a free
and appropriate public education.
• To meet the definition, a child’s educational performance must be adversely
affected by the disability.
• Category does not prescribe the services for a child, but a program should
be planned based on individual needs.

14. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 1
1. Break into small groups
2. Discuss the inappropriateness and disadvantages of labeling young
children as having
a. learning disabilities
b. intellectual disabilities
c. emotional disturbances
3. Come back together as a class and share your responses

15. Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Ninth Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All
Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Summary
Now that the lesson has ended, you should have learned how to:
• Specify several possible causes of developmental disabilities and give examples of causes
both prior to and after birth.
• Describe and understand the classifications of developmental disabilities.