Sensory, Physical, & Medical Disabilities

EXC 7770

Dr. Susan Brown

Kennesaw State University

Limitations

adaptive devices attendance fatigue functional limitations medication/treatment

effects pain

Sensory Impairments

Visual Impairment

Hearing Impairment

Hearing Impairment Prelingual deafness

onset before language development Postlingual deafness

onset after language development Conductive loss

air or bone conduction disruption Sensory loss

interference in inner ear or neural pathways Cochlea

primary organ of hearing connects inner ear pathways to brain pathways

Levels of hearing loss Hard of hearing

35-70 decibel loss Educationally - can

learn language through hearing

Deaf greater than 70

decibel loss Educationally -

cannot learn language through hearing

Visual Impairment

Visual functioning use of residual vision

Low vision significant visual impairment but

usable vision Partially sighted

20/70 - 20/200 vision Educationally - requires large

print

Visual Impairments

Blind 20/200 or less

vision 20 degrees or

less field of vision

Educationally - requires Braille

Developmental maturation

Cephalo-caudal (head to tail) Proximal-to-distal (central to peripheral) Gross-to-fine Physiological flexion (general bending at

joints) to antigravity control Stability to mobility to skilled movement

(Heller, Alberto, Forney & Schwartzman, 1996)

Physical Impairments Muscular

Muscular dystrophy Muscular sclerosis

Skeletal Arthritis Osteogenesis Scoliosis

Health Impairments Abuse Aids Allergies Asthma Cancer

•Cystic Fibrosis

•Diabetes

•Hemophilia

•Hepatitis

•Sickle Cell Anemia

Congenital and Acquired Impairments

Amputation/missing limbs

Eating disorders Heart disorder Respiratory

disorders

Neurological

Seizures Spina Bifida Traumatic

Brain Injury