Special EducationBY: KATHRYN AND CARLIE

• Speech and Language Impairment• Other Heath Impairments (OHI)• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

What is Speech or Language Impairment?

A communication disorder such as stuttering, child experiences challenges in pronouncing specific sounds, difficulty comprehending words properly, expressing oneself and listening to others, or difficulty voicing words that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Disabilities

Produces sounds incorrectly

Problems expressing needs, ideas, or information, and/or in understanding what others say

Child’s flow of speech is destroyed by sounds and syllables

Child’s voice has an abnormal quality to its pitch or loudness

Warning Signs

Stuttering

Difficulty in learning to learn, speak, read, or write

Difficulty understanding and expressing language

Modifications Classroom

Go see Speech-Language Pathologist that the school

IEPs

Give additional time to complete or make up work

Substituting written papers or projects for oral presentations

Allowing the student to demonstrate learning one-on-one with the teacher

Reduce unnecessary classroom noise as much as possible

Be near the student when giving vocal instructions

Provide a quiet spot for the student to work

Speak slowly

Provide visual cues like blackboards

Provide step by step directions

What are Other Health Impairment?

Having a disability caused by disease, condition, disorder, or injury that substantially affects strength, vitality, or alertness.

Warning signs

The student’s condition must cause a substantial impact on his or her educational performance.

Heightened alertness to environmental stimuli.

Causes Asthma: a person’s airways become

inflamed, narrow and swell, and produce extra mucus

Attention Deficit Disorder: chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness

Diabetes: too much sugar in the blood, or high blood glucose

Epilepsy: disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures

Heart Condition: different conditions that affect the heart

Hemophilia: a disorder in which blood doesn’t clot normally

Lead Poisoning: lead builds up in the body

Leukemia: a cancer of blood-forming tissues, hindering the body's ability to fight infection

Nephritis: inflammation of the kidneys

Rheumatic Fever: disease that can result from inadequately treated strep throat or scarlet fever

Sickle Cell Anemia: a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down

Tourette Syndrome: nervous system disorder involving repetitive movements or unwanted sounds

Disabilities

Fatigue

Issues involving attention

Mobility issues

Coordination difficulties

Muscle weakness

Lack of physical health

Inability to concentrate for long periods of time

Classroom Modifications

Establish procedures for dealing with medical emergencies

Recent advances in technology can help with physical disabilities, giving them greater control over communication and daily living skills

Provide special adaptive equipment such as specially designed desks, positioning devices, wedges, or standing tables

Physical independence, mastery of daily living skills

Self-awareness

Communication

Academic growth

Life skills training

Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain dysfunction caused by an outside force, usually a violent blow to the head

Warning Signs Headache: can be persistent

Cognitive: mental confusion, inability to speak or understand, inability to recognize common things, amnesia, difficulty concentrating, inability to create new memories, or difficulty thinking and understanding

Behavioral: abnormal laughing and crying, lack of restraint, irritability, persistent repetition of words or actions, aggression, or impulsivity

Eyes: raccoon eyes, unequal pupils, or dilated pupil

Mood: loneliness, anger, or apathy

Visual: sensitivity to light or blurred vision

Sensory: sensitivity to sound or loss of smell

Speech: slurred speech or impaired voice

Psychological: anxiety or depression

Whole body: fainting, nausea, balance disorder, fatigue, blackout, or dizziness

Also common: a temporary moment of clarity, post-traumatic seizure, stiff muscles, ringing in the ears, bleeding, vomiting, nerve injury, bruising, or bone fracture

Causes

Damage to brain cells may be limited to the area directly below the point of impact on the skull.

A severe blow or jolt can cause multiple points of damage because the brain may move back and forth in the skull.

A severe rotational or spinning jolt can cause the tearing of cellular structures.

A blast, as from an explosive device, can cause widespread damage.

An object penetrating the skull can cause severe, irreparable damage to brain cells, blood vessels and protective tissues around the brain.

Bleeding in or around the brain, swelling, and blood clots can disrupt the oxygen supply to the brain and cause wider damage.

Falls

Violence

Sport Injury

Vehicle-related collisions

Explosive blasts and other

combat injuries

Disabilities Coma

Vegetative state:

Minimally conscious state: A minimally conscious state is a condition of severely altered consciousness but with some evidence of self-awareness or awareness of one's environment.

Locked-in syndrome: A person in a locked-in state is aware of his or her surroundings and awake, but he or she isn't able to speak or move.

Brain death: When there is no measurable activity in the brain and the brainstem.

Classroom Modifications Minimize extraneous auditory and visual stimulation (use study carrels or room dividers)

Provide preferential seating

Arrange seating to allow for more space between students

Provide small group instruction

Structure student's activities and schedule to limit number of changes and reduce unstructured time

Limit number of persons that the student deals with each day

Provide the student with a written schedule and keep the schedule as consistent as possible

Provide area to keep supplies, books, etc., away from student's work area

Select a classroom buddy