Exceptional Children

Areas of Exceptional Children and Adults

(Categorical Titles)
•Multicultural and Bilingual Aspects of Special Education
•Mental Retardation
•Learning Disabilities
•Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
•Communication Disorders
•Hearing Impairment
•Visual Impairment
•Physical Disabilities
•Giftedness
 Exceptional Children

Definition
Exceptional children and youths are those
who require special education and related services if
they are to realize their full human potential. They
require special education because they are markedly
different from most children in one or more of the
following ways: They may have mental retardation,
learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral
disorders, physical disabilities, disorders of
communication, autism, traumatic brain injury,
impaired hearing, impaired sight, or special gifts or
talents.
 Exceptional Children

Concepts
Two concepts are important to our
educational definition of exceptional
children and youths: (1) diversity of
characteristics and (2) need for special
education. The concept of diversity is
inherent in the definition of
exceptionality; the need for special
education is inherent in an educational
definition.
 Exceptional Children

Prevalence
Prevalence refers to the percentage of a population or
number of individuals having a particular
exceptionality. The prevalence of mental retardation,
for example, might be estimated at 2.3 percent, which
means that 2.3 percent of the population, or twenty-
three people in every thousand, are assumed to have
mental retardation. If the prevalence of giftedness is
assumed to be between 3 percent and 5 percent, we
would expect somewhere between thirty and fifty people
in a sample of a thousand to have special gifts of some
kind. Obviously, accurate estimates of prevalence
depend on our ability to count the number of people in a
given population who have a certain exceptionality.
 Exceptional Children

Expectations

Special educators have the

responsibility to offer not just
good instruction but instruction
that is highly individualized,
intensive, relentless, urgent, and
goal directed.
Exceptional Children

Myths/Facts
 Exceptional Children

Public schools may choose not to provide

education for some students with
disabilities.

Federal legislation specifies that to receive

federal funds, every school system must
provide a free, appropriate education for
every student regardless of any disabling
condition.
 Exceptional Children

By law, the student with a disability must be

placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
The LRE is always the regular classroom.

The law does require the student with a disability

to be placed in the LRE. However, the LRE is not
always the regular classroom. What the LRE
does mean is that the student shall be separated
as little as possible from home, family,
community, and the regular class setting while
appropriate education is provided. In many but
not all instances, this will mean placement in the
regular classroom.
 Exceptional Children

The causes of most disabilities are known, but

little is known about how to help individuals
overcome or compensate for their disabilities.

In most cases, the causes of disabilities are not

known, although progress is being made in
pinpointing why many disabilities occur. More is
known about the treatment of most disabilities
than about their causes.
 Exceptional Children

People with disabilities are just like everyone else.

First, no two people are exactly alike. People

with disabilities, just like everyone else, are
unique individuals. Most of their abilities are
much like those of the average person who is not
considered to have a disability. Nevertheless, a
disability is a characteristic not shared by most
people. It is important that disabilities be
recognized for what they are, but individuals
with disabilities must be seen as having many
abilities-- other characteristics that they share
with the majority of people.
 Exceptional Children

A disability is a handicap.
A disability is an inability to do something, the
lack of a specific capacity. A handicap, on the
other hand , is a disadvantage that is imposed on
an individual. A disability may or may not be a
handicap, depending on the circumstances. For
example, the inability to walk is not a handicap
in learning to read, but it can me a handicap in
getting into the stands at a ball game. Sometimes
handicaps are needlessly imposed on people with
disabilities. For example, a student who cannot
write with a pen but can use a typewriter or word
processor would be needlessly handicapped
without such equipment.
 Multicultural and Bilingual
Aspects of Special Education

Myths/Facts
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Multicultural education addresses the concerns of

ethnic minorities who want their children to learn
more about their history and the intellectual,
social, and artistic contributions of their ancestors.

This is a partial truth. In fact, multicultural

education seeks to help the children of all ethnic
groups appreciate their own and others’ cultural
heritages-- plus our common American culture
that sustains multiculturalism.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Everyone agrees that multicultural education is

critical to our nation’s future.

Some people, including some who are members

of ethnic minorities, believe that multicultural
education is misguided and diverts attention from
our integration in a distinctive, cohesive
American culture.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Implementing multicultural education is a

relatively simple matter of including information
about all cultures in the curriculum and teaching
respect for them.

Educators and others are struggling with how to

construct a satisfactory multicultural curriculum
and multicultural instructional methods. Nearly
every aspect of the task is controversial-- which
cultures to include, how much attention to give to
each, and what and how to teach about them.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Multiculturalism includes only the special features

and contributions of clearly defined ethnic groups.

Ethnicity is typically the focal point of

discussions of multiculturalism, but ethnicity is
sometimes a point of controversy if it is defined
too broadly (for example, by lumping all Asians
together). Besides ethnic groups, other groups
and individuals-- such as people identified by
gender, sexual orientation, religion, and
disability-- need consideration in a multicultural
curriculum.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Disproportionate Representation of ethnic

minorities in special education is no longer a
problem.

Some ethnic minorities are still underrepresented

or overrepresented in certain special education
categories. For example, African American
students, especially males, are overrepresented in
programs for students with emotional or
behavioral disorders and underrepresented in
programs for gifted and talented students.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

Disability is never related to ethnicity.

Some disabilities are genetically linked and

therefore more prevalent in some ethnic groups.
For example, sickle cell disease (a severe,
chronic, hereditary blood disease) occurs
disproportionately in children with ancestry from
Africa, Mediterranean and Caribbean regions,
Saudi Arabia, and India.
 Multicultural & Bilingual Aspects

If students speak English, there is no need to be

concerned about bilingual education.

Conversational English is not the same as more

formal and sometimes technical language used in
academic curriculum and classroom instruction.
Educators must make sure that students
understand the language used in teaching, not
just informal conversation.
Communication Disorders
 Communication Disorders

Categorical Factors Associated with

Childhood Language Disorders

I. Central factors
A.Specific language disability
B.Mental retardation
C.Autism
D.Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
E. Acquired brain injury
F. Others

II. Peripheral factors

A.Hearing impairment
B.Visual Impairment
C.Physical Impairment
 Communication Disorders

Categorical Factors Associated with

Childhood Language Disorders (cont.)

III. Environmental and emotional factors

A.Neglect and abuse

B.Behavioral and emotional development problems

IV. Mixed factors

 Communication Disorders

Causes
•Central factors refer to causes associated with central
nervous system (i.e., brain) damage or dysfunction.
•Peripheral factors refer to sensory or physical
impairments that are not caused by brain injury or
dysfunction but that, nevertheless, contribute to language
disorders.
•Environmental and emotional factors refer to language
disorders that have their primary origin in the child’s
physical or psychological environment.
•Mixed factors are included because language disorders
often have multiple causes—combinations of central,
peripheral, and environmental or emotional factors.
Communication Disorders

Myths/Facts
 Communications Disorders

Children with language disorders always

have speech difficulties as well.

It is possible for a child to have good

speech yet not make any sense when he or
she talks; however, most children with
language disorders have speech disorders,
as well.
 Communications Disorders

Individuals with communication disorders

always have emotional or behavioral
disorders or mental retardation.

Some children with communication

disorders are normal in cognitive, social,
and emotional development.
 Communications Disorders

How children learn language is now well

understood.

Although recent research has revealed

quite a lot about the sequence of language
acquisition and has led to theories of
language development, exactly how
children learn language is still unknown.
 Communications Disorders

Stuttering is primarily a disorder of people

with extremely high IQs. Children who
stutter become stuttering adults.
Stuttering can affect individuals at all
levels of intellectual ability. Some
children who stutter continue stuttering as
adults; most, however, stop stuttering
before or during adolescence with help
from a speech-language pathologist.
Stuttering is primarily a childhood
disorder, found much more often in boys
than in girls.
 Communications Disorders

Disorders of phonology (or articulation) are

never very serious and are always easy to
correct.
Disorders of phonology can make speech
unintelligible; it is sometimes very difficult
to correct phonological or articulation
problems, especially if the individual has
cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or
emotional or behavioral disorders.
 Communications Disorders

There is no relationship between

intelligence and communication disorders.

Communications disorders tend to occur

more frequently among individuals of
lower intellectual ability, although they
may occur in individuals who are
extremely intelligent.
 Communications Disorders

There is not much overlap between language

disorders and learning disabilities.

Problems with verbal skills-- listening,

reading, writing, speaking-- are often
central features of learning disabilities. The
definitions of language disorders and
several other disabilities are overlapping.
 Communications Disorders

Children who learn few language skills

before entering kindergarten can easily pick
up all the skills they need, if they have good
peer models in typical classrooms.
Early language learning is critical for later
language development; a child whose
language is delayed in kindergarten is
unlikely to learn to use language
effectively merely by observing peer
models. More explicit intervention is
typically required.
Hearing Impairment
 Hearing Impairment

No deaf child who has earnestly tried to speak the words which
he has never heard—to come out of the prison of silence, where
no tone of love, no song of bird, no strain of music ever pierces
the stillness—can forget the thrill of surprise, the joy of
discovery which came over him when he uttered his first word.
Only such a one can appreciate the eagerness with which I
talked to my toys, to stones, trees, birds and dumb animals, or
the delight I felt when at my call Mildred ran to me or my dogs
obeyed my commands. It is an unspeakable boon to me to be
able to speak in winged words that need no interpretation.

--Helen Keller
The Story of My Life
 Hearing Impairment

Definition and Classification

The extreme points of view are represented by those with a physiological
orientation versus those with an educational orientation.
Those maintaining a strictly physiological viewpoint are interested
primarily in the measurable degree of hearing loss. Children who cannot hear
sounds at or above a certain intensity (loudness) level are classified as “deaf:”
others with a hearing loss are considered “hard of hearing”. Hearing sensitivity is
measured in decibels (units of relative loudness of sounds). Zero decibels (0 dB)
designates the point at which the average person with normal hearing can detect
the faintest sound. Each succeeding number of decibels indicates a certain degree
of hearing loss. Those who maintain a physiological viewpoint generally consider
people with hearing losses of about 90 dB or greater to be deaf and people with
less to be hard of hearing.
People with an educational viewpoint are concerned with how much the
hearing loss is likely to affect the child’s ability to speak and develop language.
Because of the close causal link between hearing loss and delay in language
development, these professionals categorize primarily on the basis of spoken
language abilities. Following is the most commonly accepted set of definitions
reflecting this educational orientation:
 Hearing Impairment

Definition and Classification (Cont.)

• Hearing impairment: is generic term indicating a hearing disability that may range in
severity from mild to profound; it includes the subsets of deaf and hard of hearing.
• A deaf person is one whose hearing disability precludes successful processing of linguistic
information through audition, with or without a hearing aid.
• A person who is hard of hearing generally, with the use of a hearing aid, has residual hearing
sufficient to enable successful processing of linguistic information through audition

Educators are extremely concerned about the age of onset of the hearing impairment. Again,
the close relationship between hearing loss and language delay is the key here. The earlier the
hearing loss occurs in a child’s life, the more difficulty he or she will have developing the
language of the hearing society (e.g., English). For this reason, professionals frequently use the
terms congenitally deaf (those who were born deaf) and adventitiously deaf (those who
acquire deafness at some time after birth).

Two other frequently used terms are even more specific in pinpointing language acquisition as
critical: Prelingual deafness is “deafness present at birth, or occurring early in life at an age
prior to the development of speech or language”; postlingual deafness is “deafness occurring
at any age following the development of speech and language”.
 Hearing Impairment

PREVALENCE

The U.S. Department of Education’s statistics indicate that about 0.14 percent of
the population from six to seventeen years of age is identified as deaf or hard of
hearing by the public schools. Although the U.S. Department of Education does
not report separate figures for the categories of “deaf” and “hard of hearing,”
some authorities believe that many children who are hard of hearing who could
benefit from special education are not being served.

Congenitally deaf. Deafness that is present at birth; can be caused by genetic factors, by injuries
during fetal development, or by injuries occurring at birth.

Adventitiously deaf. Deafness that occurs through illness or accident in an individual who was born
with normal hearing.

Prelingual deafness. Deafness that occurs before the development of spoken language, usually at
birth.

Postlingual deafness. Deafness occurring after the development of speech and language.
Hearing Impairment
Myth/Facts
 Hearing Impairment

Deafness is not as severe a disability as

blindness

Although it is impossible to predict the

exact consequences of a disability on a
person’s functioning , in general, deafness
poses more difficulties in adjustment than
does blindness. This is largely due to the
effects hearing loss can have on the ability
to understand and speak oral language.
 Hearing Impairment

It is unhealthy for people who are deaf to

socialize almost exclusively with others who
are deaf.

Many authorities now recognize that the

phenomenon of a Deaf culture is natural
and should be encouraged. In fact, some
are worried that too much mainstreaming
will diminish the influence of the Deaf
culture.
 Hearing Impairment

In learning to understand what is being said

to them, people with hearing impairment
concentrate on reading lips.

Lipreading refers only to visual cues

arising from movement of the lips. Some
people who are hearing impaired not only
read lips but also take advantage of a
number of other visual cues, such as facial
expressions and movements of the jaw and
tongue. They are engaging in what is
referred to as speechreading.
 Hearing Impairment

Speechreading is relatively easy to learn and

is used by the majority of people with
hearing impairment.

Speechreading is extremely difficult to

learn, and very few people who are hearing
impaired actually become proficient
speechreaders.
 Hearing Impairment

American Sign Language (ASL) is a loosely

structured group of gestures.

ASL is a true language in its own right

with its own set of grammatical rules.
 Hearing Impairment

ASL can convey only concrete ideas.

ASL can convey any level of abstraction.

 Hearing Impairment

People within the Deaf community are in

favor of mainstreaming students who are
deaf into regular classes.
Some within the Deaf community have
voiced the opinion that regular classes are
not appropriate for many students who are
deaf. They point to the need for a critical
mass of students who are deaf in order to
have effective educational programs for
these individuals. They see separate
placements as a way of fostering the Deaf
culture.
 Hearing Impairment

Families in which both the child and the

parents are deaf are at a distinct
disadvantage compared to families in which
the parents are hearing.
Research has demonstrated that children
who are deaf who have parents who are
also deaf fare better in a number of
academic and social areas. Authorities
point to the parents’ ability to
communicate with their children in ASL as
a major reason for this advantage.
Visual Impairment
 Visual Impairment

Legal Definition
The legal definition of visual impairment involves assessment of
visual acuity and field of vision. A person who is legally blind has
visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye even with correction
(e.g., eyeglasses) or has a field of vision so narrow that its widest
diameter subtrends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.
The fraction 20/200 means that the person sees at 20 feet what a
person with normal vision sees at 200 feet. (Normal vision acuity
is thus 20/20). Legal blindness qualifies a person for certain legal
benefits, such as tax advantages and money for special materials.

In addition to this medical classification of blindness, there is also a

category referred to as partially sighted. According to the legal
classification system, persons who are partially sighted have visual
acuity falling between 20/70 and 20/200 in the better eye with
correction.
 Visual Impairment

Educational Definition
Many professionals, particularly educators, have found the legal classification
scheme inadequate. They have observed that visual acuity is not a very
accurate predictor of how people will function or use whatever remaining sight
they have. Although a small percentage of individuals who are legally blind
have absolutely no vision, the majority are able to see. For example, an
extensive study of students who are legally blind found that only 18 percent
were totally blind.

Many of those who recognize the limitations of the legal definition of blindness
and partial sightedness favor the educational definition, which stresses the
method of reading instruction. For educational purposes, individuals who are
blind are so severely impaired they must learn to read Braille or use aural
methods (audiotapes and records). (Braille, a system of raised dots by which
blind people read with their fingertips, consists of quadrangular cells containing
from one to six dots whose arrangements denotes different letters and symbols.)
Educators often refer to those individuals with visual impairment who can read
print, even if they need magnifying devices or large-print books, as having low
vision.
 Visual Impairment

Prevalence

Blindness is primarily an adult disability. Most

estimates indicate that blindness is
approximately one-tenth as prevalent in school-
age children as in adults. Only about .05
percent of the population ranging from six to
seventeen years of age is classified by the
federal government as “visually impaired.”
This makes visual impairment one of the least
prevalent disabilities in children.
Visual Impairment
Myth/Facts
 Visual Impairment

People who are legally blind have no sight

at all

Only a small percentage of people who are

legally blind have absolutely no vision.
Many have a useful amount of functional
vision.
 Visual Impairment

People who are blind have an extra sense

that enables them to detect obstacles.

People who are blind do not have an extra

sense. Some can develop an “obstacle
sense” by noting the change in pitch of
echoes as they move toward objects.
 Visual Impairment

People who are blind automatically develop

better acuity in their other senses.

Through concentration and attention,

individuals who are blind can learn to
make very fine discriminations in the
sensations they obtain. This is not
automatic but rather represents a better use
of received sensations.
 Visual Impairment

People who are blind have superior musical

ability.

The musical ability of people who are

blind is not necessarily better than that of
sighted people, however, many people who
are blind pursue musical careers as one
way in which they can achieve success.
 Visual Impairment

Braille is not very useful for the vast

majority of people who are blind; it should
only be tried as a last resort.

Very few people who are blind have

learned Braille, primarily due to fear that
using it is a sign of failure and to an
historical professional bias against it.
Authorities acknowledge the utility of
Braille for people who are blind.
 Visual Impairment

Braille is of no value for those who have

low vision.

Some individuals with low vision have

conditions that will eventually result in
blindness. More and more, authorities
think that these individuals should learn
Braille to be prepared for when they
cannot read print effectively.
 Visual Impairment

If people with low vision use their eyes too

much, their sight will deteriorate.

Only rarely is this true. Visual efficiency

can actually be improved through training
and use. Wearing strong lenses, holding
books close to the eyes, and using the eyes
often cannot harm vision.
 Visual Impairment

Mobility instruction should be delayed until

elementary school or secondary school

Many authorities now recognize that even

preschoolers can take advantage of
mobility instruction, including the use of a
cane.
 Visual Impairment

The long cane is a simply constructed, easy-

to-use device.

The National Academy of Sciences has

drawn up specifications for the
manufacture of the long cane and using it
properly.
 Visual Impairment

Guide dogs take people where they want to

go.

The guide dog does not “take” the person

anywhere, the person must first know
where he or she is going. The dog is
primarily a protection against unsafe areas
or obstacles.
Physical Disabilities
 Physical Disabilities

Definition and Classification

Children with physical disabilities are defined as those
whose physical limitations or health problems interfere
with school attendance or learning to such an extent that
special services, training, equipment, materials, or
facilities are required. Our definition excludes children
whose primary characteristics are visual or auditory
impairments, although some children with physical
disabilities have these deficiencies as secondary
problems. Children who have physical disabilities may
also have mental retardation, learning disabilities,
emotional or behavioral disorders, communication
disorders, or special gifts or talents.
 Physical Disabilities

Definition and Classification (cont.)

The fact that the primary distinguishing characteristics of
children with physical disabilities are medical conditions,
health problems, or physical limitations highlights the
necessity of interdisciplinary cooperation.
 Physical Disabilities

Prevalence and Need

Figures from the U.S. Department of Education (1994) indicate
that over 200,000 students are being served under three special
education categories related to physical disabilities:

1. Orthopedic impairments (about 53,000)

2. Other health impaired (about 66,000)
3. Multiple disabilities (about 103,000)
 Physical Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Definition

The definition of TBI specifies that:

1. There is injury to the brain caused by an external force

2. The injury is not caused by a degenerative or congenital
condition.
3. There is a diminished or altered state of consciousness.
4. Neurological or neurobehavioral dysfunction results from the
injury
 Physical Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Variety of Causes

TBI may involve open head injuries-- in which there is a penetrating

head wound-- from such causes as a fall, gunshot, assault, vehicular
accident, or surgery.

TBI may involve closed head injuries, in which there is no open

head wound, but brain damage is caused by internal compression,
stretching, or other shearing motion of neural tissues within the
head. Closed injuries may be caused by a variety of events
including a fall, accident, or abuse, such as violent shaking.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Neurological Impairments

Cerebral Palsy

Is not a disease. It is not contagious, it is not progressive (except

that improper treatment may lead to complications), and there are
no remissions. Although it is often thought of as a motor problem
associated with brain damage at birth, it is actually more
complicated. For practical purposes, cerebral palsy can be
considered part of a syndrome that includes motor dysfunction,
psychological dysfunction, seizures, or emotional or behavioral
disorders due to brain damage.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Neurological Impairments

Cerebral Palsy (cont.)
Some individuals with CP show only one indication of brain
damage, such as motor impairment; others may show combinations
of symptoms. The usual definition of CP refers to a condition
characterized by paralysis, weakness, lack of coordination, and/or
other motor dysfunction because of damage to the child’s brain
before it has matured. Symptoms may be so mild that they are
detected only with difficulty or so profound that the individual is
almost completely incapacitated.

Although there is no cure for CP, advances in medical and

rehabilitation technology offer increasing hope of overcoming the
disabilities imposed by neurological damage.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Neurological Impairments

Seizure Disorder (Epilepsy)
A person has a seizure when there is an abnormal discharge of
electrical energy in certain brain cells. The discharge spreads to
nearby cells, and the effect may be loss of consciousness,
involuntary movements, or abnormal sensory phenomena. The
effects of the seizure will depend on the location of the cells in
which the discharge starts and how far the discharge spreads.

People with epilepsy have recurrent seizures. About 6 percent of the

population will have a seizure at some time during life, but most of
them will not be diagnosed as having epilepsy because they do not
have repeated seizures. Seizures reflect abnormal brain activity, so it
is not surprising that they occur more often in children with
developmental disabilities than in children without disabilities.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Neurological Impairments

Spina Bifida
During early fetal development, the two halves of the embryo grow
together or fuse at the midline. When the closure is incomplete, a
congenital midline defect is the result. Cleft lip and cleft palate are
examples of such midline defects.

Spina Bifida is a congenital midline defect resulting from failure of

the bony spinal column to close completely during fetal
development. The defect may occur anywhere from the head to the
lower end of the spine.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Neurological Impairments

Spina Bifida (cont.)
Because the spinal column is not closed, the spinal cord (nerve
fibers) may protrude, resulting in damage to the nerves and
paralysis and/or lack of function or sensation below the site of the
defect. Spina Bifida is often accompanied by paralysis of the legs
and of the anal and bladder sphincters because nerve impulses are
not able to travel past the defect.

Surgery to close the spinal opening is performed in early infancy,

but this does not repair the nerve damage. The mortality rate for
children with spina bifida has lowered over the years, meaning that
more severely impaired children are surviving and attending school.
Although spina bifida is one of the most common birth defects
resulting in physical disability, its causes are not known.
 Physical Disabilities

Musculoskeletal Conditions
Muscular Dystrophy

A hereditary disease characterized

by progressive weakness caused by
degeneration of muscle fibers.
 Physical Disabilities

Musculoskeletal Conditions
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

A systemic disease with major

symptoms involving the muscles and
joints.
 Physical Disabilities

Other Physical Conditions

• Asthma
•Cystic Fibrosis
•Diabetes
•Nephrosis and nephritis
•Sickle-cell anemia
•Hemophilia
•Rheumatic fever
•Tuberculosis
•Cancer
 Physical Disabilities

Congenital Malformations

Congenital malformations and disorders may

occur in any organ system, and they may range
from minor to fatal flaws ins structure or
function. In many cases, the cause of the
malformation or disorder is not known, but in
others, it is known to be hereditary or caused
by maternal infection or substance use by the
mother during pregnancy.
 Physical Disabilities

Congenital Malformations (cont.)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): Abnormalities

associated with the mother’s using alcohol
during pregnancy, defects range from mild to
severe, including growth retardation, brain
damage, mental retardation, hyperactivity,
anomalies of the face, and heart failure; also
called alcohol embyopathy.
 Physical Disabilities

Congenital Malformations (cont.)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(A.I.D.S.)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(AIDS): A fatal virus-caused illness resulting
in a breakdown of the immune system;
currently, no known cure exists.
Physical Disabilities

Myths/Facts
 Physical Disabilities

Cerebral palsy is a contagious disease.

Cerebral palsy is not a disease. It is a

nonprogressive neurological injury. It is a
disorder of muscle control and
coordination caused by injury to the brain
before or during birth or in early
childhood.
 Physical Disabilities

Physical disabilities of all kinds are

decreasing because of medical advances.

Because of advances in medical

technology the number of children with
severe disabilities is increasing. The
number of survivors of serious medical
conditions who develop normally or have
mild impairments, such as hyperactivity
and learning disabilities, is also increasing.
 Physical Disabilities

The greatest educational problem involving

children with physical disabilities is highly
specialized instruction.

The greatest educational problem is

teaching people without disabilities about
what is is like to have a disability and how
disabilities can be accommodated.
 Physical Disabilities

The more severe a person’s physical

disability, the lower his or her intelligence.

A person maybe severely physically

disabled by cerebral palsy or another
condition but have a brilliant mind.
 Physical Disabilities

People with epilepsy are mentally ill.

People with epilepsy (seizure disorder) are

not any more or less disposed to mental
illness than those who do not have
epilepsy.
 Physical Disabilities

Arthritis is found only in adults, particularly

those who are elderly.

Arthritic conditions are found in people of

any age, including young children.
 Physical Disabilities

People with physical disabilities have no

need for sexual expression.

People with physical disabilities have

sexual urges and need outlets for sexual
expression.
 Physical Disabilities

The effects of traumatic brain injury are not

distinguishable from those of other disabilities,
such as mental retardation, learning disabilities,
and emotional or behavioral disorders.

A person who has had traumatic injury to the

brain may, indeed, show cognitive, social,
emotional, and behavioral characteristics much
like those associated with other disabilities.
However, the causes of these characteristics, their
prognosis and course, and their management may
be quite different from those of other disabilities.
Giftedness
 Giftedness

Federal Definitions

Students who are gifted have special educational needs,

but since giftedness is not a disability, in any usual
sense, it is not defined in IDEA (the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, passed in 1990), thus, no
federal law requires special education for students who
are gifted.
 Giftedness

Federal Definitions (cont.)

Federal Legislation does, however, encourage states to
develop programs for gifted students and support
research. Gifted and talented students are defined in
federal law as children and youths who (1) give
evidence of high performance capability in such areas as
intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity or
in specific academic fields and (2) require services or
activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order
to develop such capabilities fully.
 Giftedness

Prevalence
It has been assumed in federal reports and legislation
that 3 to 5 percent of the U.S. school population could
be considered gifted or talented. Obviously the
prevalence of giftedness is a function of the definition
chosen.

Giftedness is not something that sets people apart in

every way from those who are average. Instead, it refers
to specific, valued, and unusual talents that people may
exhibit during some periods of their lives.
Giftedness

Myths/Facts
 Giftedness

People who are gifted are physically weak,

socially inept, narrow in interests, and prone
to emotional instability and early decline.

There are wide individual variations, and

most gifted individuals are healthy, well
adjusted socially attractive, and morally
responsible.
 Giftedness

Gifted individuals are in a sense

superhuman.

Gifted people are not superhuman; rather,

they are human beings with extraordinary
gifts in particular areas. And like everyone
else, they may have particular faults.
 Giftedness

Gifted children are usually bored with

school and antagonistic toward those who
are responsible for their education.

Most gifted children like school and adjust

well to their peers and teachers, although
some do not like school and have social or
emotional problems.
 Gifted

People who are gifted tend to be mentally

unstable.

Those who are gifted are about as likely to

be well-adjusted and emotionally healthy
as those who are not gifted.
 Gifted

We know that 3 to 5 percent of the

population is gifted.

The percentage of the population that is

gifted depends on the definition of
giftedness used. Some definitions include
only 1 or 2 percent of the population;
others, over 20 percent.
 Gifted

Giftedness is a stable trait, always

consistently evident in all periods of a
person’s life.

Some of the remarkable talents and

productivity of people who are gifted
develop early and continue throughout life;
in other cases, a person’s gifts or talents
are not noticed until adulthood.
Occasionally, a child who shows
outstanding ability becomes a nondescript
adult.
 Gifted

People who are gifted do everything well.

Some people characterized as gifted have

superior abilities of many kinds; others
have clearly superior talents in only one
area.
 Gifted

A person is gifted if he or she scores above a

certain level on intelligence tests.

IQ is only one indication of one kind of

giftedness. Creativity and high motivation
are as important indications as general
intelligence. Gifts or talents in some areas,
such as the visual and performing arts, are
not assessed by IQ tests.
 Gifted

Students who are truly gifted will excel without

special education. They need only the incentives
and instruction that are appropriate for all students.

Some gifted children will perform at a

remarkably high level without special education
of any kind, and some will make outstanding
contributions even in the face of great obstacles
to their achievement. But most will not come
close to achieving at a level commensurate with
their potential unless their talents are deliberately
fostered by instruction that is appropriate for
their advanced abilities.