Appendix D- Physical Barriers to Learning

1. Introduction

Physical disabled learners are persons who are in wheelchairs, persons who experience epileptic
seizures, people who have deformity, people who have lost an arm or a leg and who utilizes only one
side of their body.

2. Types of Physical Disability

2.1.Neurologically Related Physical Disabilities
 The brain consists of microscopic cells called neurons.
 The neurologically physical disabilities are those that involve the brain and vertebral column.

a) Spina bifida
 Spina bifida is when one or more of the spines is incompletely developed and the baby is
born with a hole in the backbone that can attribute to inadequate growth phases of the
embryo.
 The hole of the membrane may swell to create a bag which consist of cerebrospinal
liquid and section of the spinal cord.
 Specialised nursing is required for learners with serious spina bifida.

b) Paraplegia and quadriplegia

 Paraplegia is incapacity to be in motion and lacking feelings in the lower limbs.
 Quadriplegia is to be entirely paralysed.
 The harm in the backbone destroys the transfer of impulses between the brain and
muscles.
 The spinal cord has difficulty, not the brain.

c) Epilepsy
 Epilepsy is a physical impairment with a neural association.
 Epilepsy is an unexpected disruption in the operation of the brain which is created by
uncommon electrical movement in the cells of the brain.
 The disturbance is not permanent and when the activity goes back to normal, an individual
operates in the similar path as earlier the seizure took place.

d) Cerebral palsy
 When the mother does not receive sufficient medical care during pregnancy and when the
baby is born, cerebral palsy takes place.
1. A part of the brain has been harmed or has failed to grow before the brain is fully
developed.
2. There are noticeable symptoms that the motor system has been affected because of an
injury or insufficient growth of the central nervous system.
3. The impairment may differ from mild to serious.
4. The situation is difficult because there are usually other malfunctions in addition to the
injury of the motor system.

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 e) Post poliomyelitis
 Poliomyelitis (polio) is a severe ailment which causes physical impairment.
 It harms the motor cells in the brain and spinal cord.
 The muscles are affected in a massive different forms.
 The lower limbs and muscles of the trunk are usually affected.
 The malformation takes place because the affected limbs stays small.

2.2. Physical Disabilities of the skeleton and Muscles

 Physical disabilities are when the muscles and skeleton are disturbed but the brain or
backbone are not affected.

a) Amputations
 Amputation is when the movement is disturbed due to the damage of a limb by accident or
over surgery.

b) Deformed limbs
 A child might be born with no limb or part of a limb.
 The section of a limb which is available may be malformed.

c) Burn lesion
 Most of the harm from burning may be due to in contact with flames.
 The burns can be so serious that sections of the skin are damaged and an individual turn
out to be physical disabled.

3. Cerebral palsy
 Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition which is directly connected to some or other
pathological or unusual situations of the brain.
 The factors that are harmful that create the reason of the situation are prenatal, during
birth and postnatal.
 Cerebral palsy is everlasting.
 The accepted definition by the World Commission for Cerebral Palsy is:
o Cerebral palsy is a tireless but not static disorder of posture and movement because
of dysfunction of the brain before its development and growth are finished.

3.2. Causes of Cerebral Palsy

 Cerebral palsy is created by an immature of or injury to, specific elements of the brain
related with mobility.
 The parts that are by various kinds of cerebral palsy are the motor cortex, the basal ganglia
and cerebellum.
 The situation may be created by prenatal, perinatal or postnatal aspects.
 Brain damage can be caused by anything that prevents the brain to obtain enough quantity
of oxygen.

3.3. Classification of Cerebral Palsy

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 Different signs of motor dysfunction are caused by the injury or underdevelopment of
various parts of the brain.
 There are two aspects to classify disorders that is, the topographical classification and
physiological classification.
 Topographical classification is based on the part of the body which is affected.
 Physiological classification is based on the mobility of the person.
 The two categories are normally utilised in amalgamation when referring to palsy, for
instance, spastic hemiplegia.

a) Topographical classification
 The topographical category of symptoms states the disorder of a specific child.
 The description includes the following:
1) Monoplegia is when one limb is affected.
2) Hemiplegia is when one side of the body is affected.
3) Paraplegia is when the lower limbs are affected.
4) Triplegia is when three limbs are affected.
5) Quadriplegia or tetraplegia is when all four limbs are affected.
6) Dipeplegia is when the legs are more seriously affected than the arms.

b) Physiological classification
 Cerebral palsy might be perceived because of the person motor dysfunction.
 The following classification may be identified in the physiological classification are spasticity,
athetosis, cerebral ataxia, rigidity, tremor and the mixed group.
- The most normal kind of cerebral palsy is spastic and the feature of spastic is muscular
stiffness.
- Some muscles contract instead of relaxing when a child with spastic tries to move and this
cause the mobility to be disharmonious and unbalanced.
- Intentional movement especially the fine muscle movement, is seriously disabled.
- Flexion of the elbow and wrist joints takes place.
- The forearm turns upwards touching the arm and bends inwards in a normal ‘chicken wing’.
- The thumb is folded into the palm of the hand.
- The legs might also bend inwards and turn at the knees together, the feet wide apart and
posterior on the ground between the feet.
- Spastic is created by injury to or underdevelopment of the motor cortex- the part of the
brain that regulates mobility.
- A lesion which is found in the right side of the brain is exhibited in the muscle on the left of
the body and vice versa.

- Athetosis- the main feature of a child with athetosis is insufficient control which appears
itself in repetitive spontaneous and hyperbolic movements, giving the impact of someone
trying to walk inside a bus driven by a irresponsible driver.
- Hearing loss and speech defects often takes place.
- The learners may experience a challenge swallowing and chewing which might hamper
eating.
- These learners appear normal when they are asleep.

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 - They frequently demonstrate muscular atony during infancy.

- cerebellar ataxia is an injured cerebellum which creates a disorder of balance and

coordination called ataxia.

- The learners who experience cerebellar ataxia are unstable on their feet when they walk,
equilibrium is disrupted and regulate the fine motor coordination.

- They use propulsive gait to walk.

- Rigidity and tremor are unusual kinds of cerebral palsy.

- A serious range of cerebral palsy is rigidity and an individual is serious spastic.

- Tremor is manifested impulsive, fixed, rhythmic, spontaneous movements.

- The mixed groups- spastic, athetosis, ataxia and mixed groups and almost 10 percent of
cerebral palsy belongs to the mixed group.

- There are different mixed kinds of cerebral palsy, which might appear in various
combinations, for instance, athesosis and spasticity joined.

3.4. Disabilities Associated with Cerebral Palsy

 The harm resulting in cerebral palsy might affect different related impairments which may
takes place in singles or in combination in the similar child.
 Brain injury which might affect cerebral palsy of one arm, or one arm and one leg, may
create extra impairments such as mental retardation, vision disability, auditory disability,
speech disability, perception and epilepsy.
 The deformed manifestation of cerebral palsied regularly makes the ignorant to consider
themselves as mentally retarded.
 However, brain impairment affects the intellect of a mostly cerebral palsied.
 Muscle control in many cerebral palsied learners is affected.
 Weak control of mouth and throat muscles affects chewing, swallowing, speaking and even
regulate over salivating.
 When cerebral palsied learners are excited, they salivate.
 Occasionally the cerebral palsied are not able to regulate muscles of the face and may
regularly manifest to be frowning.

3.5. Early Childhood Education

 Physical impairment which affects the movement of the child is limited and this causes the
lack of life experiences.
 Disabled learners are regularly left at home, they do not go with their mothers on getaways,
to shops and visits friends and family.
 They experience a challenge when handling toys, eating on their own, dressing and undressing.

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4. Identification and Treatment of Physical Barriers to Learning
4.1.Identification of Physical Disability
 It is not a challenge to recognise learners with physical impairment because they are
noticeable and detectible to the eye.
 Several cases of physical impairment such as petit mal epilepsy, mild spina bifida and
mild cerebral palsy are not noticeable and may not be identified for years.
 Therefore, the teacher has a responsibility to notice, inspect, do interviews with parents
and to transfer if they have doubts that a learner may be physical impaired.

4.2.Treatment of Physical Disability

 The situation needs special treatment which depends on the seriousness of the
situation.
 Wheelchairs, crutches, splints and callipers are various types of aids accessible.
 A non-natural limb substitutes a surgically removed limb.
 Operation is regularly designated for cerebral palsy; however, spasms medicine may be
recommended to ease muscles.
 For the treatment of epilepsy medication is unnecessary.
 Different kinds anticonvulsive treatment is needed for various kinds of seizures.
 The following medication and paramedical people deal with the physical disabled:
1. Neurologists are professionals in the area of the brain particular and an entire central
nervous system.
 They observe and cure all the neurologically associated physical disabilities.
2. An orthopaedic surgeon can cure illnesses in the skeletal and muscular systems particularly
younger learners.
3. People who have hearing problems, hearing loss, respiratory problems and extremely
salivating consult an ear, nose and throat professionals.
4. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and part psychotherapy for the physical disabled, may
prescribe treatment such as Ritalin for hyperactivity and Melleril for excessive aggression or
Prozac for depression.
5. A psychologist can establish the capacities of the physical disabled through IQ or aptitude
test.
 Then an individual’s personality and interests, a psychotherapy may deal with behavioural
problems such as low self-image.
6. Physiotherapists help the physical disabled to improve their bodies and to enhance their
posture, muscle tone and coordination.
7. An occupational therapist focuses further on the operational side of the body and teaches
learners everyday skills such as bathing.
8. Speech therapists specialise in speech and language.
 There should be discussion among various specialists in order to acquire the greatest
medication for the child and this is referred as multidisciplinary approach.

5. Classroom Assistance to Learning

 Physically disabled learners do not all need special education.
 Several physically disabled learners need teaching support such as special typewriters,
special book supports and chairs and tables.

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Practical Suggestion

Young learners

 Furniture should be organised in such a way that learners can move without obstruction.
 Equipment and position activities should be kept where learners will have an access.
 Floor and table games should be arranged in such a way that the palsied learners will be able
to access them.
 Support should be provided when it is required so that learners can be able to assist
themselves.
 Learners should be given a chance to do thing for themselves so that they will be inspired to
become self-reliant.
 Learners should be given activities and duties considering their physical disabilities.
 Physically and emotional place should be formed so that learners can discover privately.

School learners

 Make sure that learners with orthopaedic aids are at ease.

 Places where learners would like to go should be reachable.
 Movement of learners utilising aids in the classroom should be easily.
 Improvise.
 Typewriter should be utilised for learners who experience a challenge in their handwriting.
 Long absences of the physically disabled learners and be assisted to catch up with their
work.
 Verbal tests and exams should be administered for learners who write slowly.
 Spelling of learners with serious spelling problems should be overlooked.
 If the learner’s focus is easily disturbed, avoid incidents that which might disturb them.
 Provide washing facilities for learners who wheel themselves because their hands will be
filthy.

Activity

1. Briefly describe types of physical impairments including cerebral palsy.

2. What are the practical strategies to classroom assistance to learners who have physical
barriers to learning?