Physical and Health Disabilities

1. Physical and Health Disabilities Current Issues Collaboration Cerebral Palsy

2. Practicum Placements • Initial contacts • School environment • Educator attitudes • Unique needs • P/HD issues • Projects

3. Critical Issues in P/HD • Current educational issues • Identification criteria • Entrance and exit criteria • Collaboration • Role and responsibility • Other teachers • Support personnel

4. Educational Implications of Physical Impairments • Limited physical strength and/or mobility causes difficulty with completion of tasks involving motor skills (fine and gross, visual motor, and motor planning) • Accompanying neurological impairments may affect organization and work skills

5. Educational Implications of Physical Impairments • Physical limitations,including impaired strength and endurance, cause difficulty managing tasks or materials in the classroom • Combination of limited strength, endurance, and mobility may impact students ability to participate in academic tasks

6. Identification Criteria • Medically diagnosed • Chronic condition • Physically impaired • Congenital or acquired condition • Adverse affect on physical or academic function • Requires special education and related services

7. Entrance/Exit Criteria • Documentation of a medically diagnosed physical impairment • Documentation of educational implications related to physical impairment • Lack of organization or work skills • Inability to manage motor-related classroom tasks • Scores 1.0 standard deviations or more below the mean on standardized achievement test • Teacher licensed in the area of Physically Impaired must be part of the evaluation team

8. Educational Implications of Health Impairments • Results in excessive absences • From school due to illness or appointments • From classroom due to procedures or therapies • Interferes in ability to manage materials, transitions, and participation in physical and recreational activities

9. Educational Implications of Health Impairments • Poor endurance causes difficulty completing written assignments and requires frequent rest breaks • Fatigue level causes difficulty staying on task and completing assignments • Level of pain or discomfort impacts overall participation • Distractibility level interferes with attention in class, initiating tasks, and remaining on task

10. Identification Criteria • Limited strength, endurance, vitality, or alertness • Heightened or diminished alertness to environmental stimuli • Medically diagnosed • Chronic or acute health conditions • Adverse affect on educational performance • Requires special education and related services

11. Entrance/Exit Criteria • Documentation of health condition by a licensed physician • Adverse affect on ability to complete educational tasks within timely manner, including three of the following: • Excessive absenteeism • Specialized healthcare procedures • Impact of medication • Limited physical strength and endurance • Level of alertness impacted • Impaired ability to manage or organize materials • Difficulty following directions or completing tasks

12. Collaboration/Consultation • Indirect services • Progress reviews • Cooperative planning • Consultation • Demonstration teaching • Modifications and adaptations • Environment • Curriculum • Materials and equipment • Monitor and observe

13. Collaboration/Consultation • Direct services • Provided by a teacher or related service provider • Related to instruction • Cooperative learning • Need determined by IEP team • Based on student’s goals and objectives

14. Roles and Responsibilities of P/HD Teacher • Direct service provider when deemed necessary by IEP team • Indirect service provider • Consultant to team members • Liaison between medical community and educational setting • Advocate for unique needs of students with physical and health impairments

15. Direct Service Providers • May be other special education services providers • LD, EBD teachers - if educational needs are primarily in learning or behavior • DCD teacher if students need require a more functional approach • Specialist teachers if primary condition is in other area - vision or D/HH teacher • Related service providers - therapists providing mobility and accommodations or social worker providing family support

16. Support Personnel • Classroom paraprofessional • Provided specific list of tasks that may require assistance • Training required for unique needs of physically or health impaired • Sensitivity to issues such as over-reliance upon caregivers, health concerns, limited mobility, self-determination needs

17. Cerebral Palsy • Definitions • Disorder of movement and posture • Non-progressive brain abnormality • Developmental disability • Affects physical development • Movement • Muscle tone • Position in space

18. Time of Assault • Prenatal • Brain malformation • Genetic syndrome • Infection • Anoxia • Perinatal • Asphyxia • Infection • Postnatal • Infection • TBI • Poison • Anoxia

19. Classifications • Location • Diplegia • Hemiplegia • Quadriplegia • Neuroanatomy • Area of the brain involved • Neurological or neurophysiological dysfunction

20. Classifications • Movement • Spastic • Dyskinesia • Ataxia • Mixed • Function • Mild • Moderate • Severe

21. Associated Conditions • Sensory impairments • Communication impairments • Orthopedic deformities • Nutrition needs • Cognitive dysfunction • Learning disabilities • Seizures

22. Treatment • Therapeutic • Physical therapy • Occupational therapy • Orthotics • Medication • Surgical

23. Developmental Impact • Physical • Management • Spasticity • Athetosis • Ataxia • Mixed • Body mechanics • Communication • Social/emotional

24. Educational Impact • Inclusion • Differences • Learning issues • Self-determination • Adult outcomes