Sensory, Physical, & Medical Disabilities

1. Sensory, Physical, & Medical Disabilities EXC 7770 Dr. Susan Brown Kennesaw State University

2. Limitations • adaptive devices • attendance • fatigue • functional limitations • medication/treatment effects • pain

3. Sensory Impairments Hearing Impairment Visual Impairment

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Visual Impairments • Blind • 20/200 or less vision • 20 degrees or less field of vision • Educationally - requires Braille

8. 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)

9. Physical Impairments • Muscular • Muscular dystrophy • Muscular sclerosis • Skeletal • Arthritis • Osteogenesis • Scoliosis

10. Health Impairments • Cystic Fibrosis • Diabetes • Hemophilia • Hepatitis • Sickle Cell Anemia • Abuse • Aids • Allergies • Asthma • Cancer

11. Congenital and Acquired Impairments • Amputation/missing limbs • Eating disorders • Heart disorder • Respiratory disorders

12. Neurological • Seizures • Spina Bifida • Traumatic Brain Injury