Definition: difficulties with attention,
focus, and self-control
Causes: no confirmed causes however,
researchers believe brain injuries, genetics,
and some prenatal factors can contribute
to the incidence of ADHD
Disability Characteristics: difficulties with sustained
attention at a task, maintaining levels of
hyperactivity, and controlling one’s response to
the environment around them
Fact Prevalence: estimated between 3%-7%
Sheets Strategies for Teaching:
• help students with time management
• provide specific instructions
For
• model study skills
• manage the learning environment to keep
distractions to a minimum
• facilitate self-regulation skills in students
Teachers
• help students develop organizational skills
Facts from:
ADHD
Smith, D. D., & Tyler, N. C. (2010). Introduction to special education:
Making a difference (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill
Definition: a speech or language Definition: disorder where emotional
impairment where the student fails or behavioral disturbances interfere
to send or receive communication with the child’s learning
effectively
Causes: brain damage, malfunction of Causes: physical abuse, poverty, and
speech mechanisms, physical problems, biological factors can cause the disorder
medical problems, genetic conditions,
illness, injury, coexisting disabilities
Characteristics: substitution, omission, distortion, Characteristics: can been seen in tantrums,
addition, poor voice quality, unable to follow aggression, noncompliance, coercive
directions, unable to match letters with sounds, behaviors, and poor academic performance
unable to understand rhymes, syllables, or
concept formation
Prevalence: 19% of all students with disabilities Prevalence: 1% of school children are identified
Strategies for Teaching: Strategies for Teaching:
• rephrase, repeat, and provide multiple variations of • create positive behavior reward systems
directions • provide immediate reinforcement of positive
• begin with one-step instructions and build to multi- behaviors
step • teach empathy, social skills, and problem-solving
• communicate with facial expressions and gestures skills regularly
• explicitly teach social conventions • be aware of situations that can escalate quickly
• encourage vocabulary words in discussions • be prepared with proper conflict training
• provide longer wait time for answering • prepare other students and staff with emergency
plans
Communication Emotional/Behavioral
Disorders disorders
Definition: umbrella of disorders Definition: difficulties with academic
including autism, asperger and emotional success and progress
syndrome, and pervasive thereafter
developmental disorder
Causes: neurobiological disorder and Causes: most often unknown, however
genetics some cases can be attributed to
neurological problems or genetics
Characteristics: poor social interactions, Characteristics: difficulty in the ability to listen,
communication abilities, insistence on think, speak, read, write, spell, or do
consistency in daily routines, unusual behavior mathematics.
patterns
Prevalence: 0.34% of school age children Prevalence: 5% of children in school
Strategies for Teaching: Strategies for Teaching:
• develop a consistent routine • encourage the child’s strengths, interests, and
• avoid unexpected changes abilities
• communicate instructions and consequences • be realistic in expectations and demands
clearly • involve the child in creating rules and routines
• use direct statements • create healthy learning environments
• provide constant feedback • modify instruction and activities
• use concrete and visual examples • provide constructive feedback
Autism Spectrum
disorders Learning disabilities
Definition: inability or partial Definition: inability or partial
impairment of sight which interferes impairment of hearing which
with the child’s learning interferes with the child’s learning
Causes: premature births, heredity, Causes: heredity and genetics, meningitis,
accidents, injuries otitis media, noise
Types: myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, Characteristics: hearing is limited or non-
amblyopia, strabismus, nystagmus, glaucoma, existent, ranges from mild to profound
aniridia, cataract, diabetic retinopathy,
macular degeneration, retinopathy of
prematurity, retinal detachment, atrophy
Prevalence: 1 in 4 school age children Prevalence: 0.14% of all students
Strategies for Teaching: Strategies for Teaching:
• simplify layout and eliminate clutter in the • articulate speech directly to students
classroom • use gestures for communication needs
• familiarize student with potential problem areas or • maintain eyelevel when speaking with student
new situations • reduce classroom noise
• secure floor coverings to the floor • consult special education teachers for possible
• modify lighting and potential glares in the assistive technology needs
classroom • collaborate with student’s family
• use contrasting colors in instruction • provide assistance with other classmates
Visual Hearing
impairments impairments
Definition: individuals with physical Definition: individuals with health
challenges that affect their conditions that impact their ability to
educational achievement learn
Causes: genetics, car accidents, water Causes: infections, diseases, asthma,
accidents, gun wounds, sports injuries, and poisons, toxins, premature birth, genetics
child abuse
Types: seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, spinal Types: asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis,
cord disorders, muscular dystrophy, polio, congenital heart defects, tuberculosis, cancer,
multiple sclerosis, arthritis, limb deficiencies, blood disorders, STORCH, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis B
skeletal disorders
Prevalence: 0.11% of all children Prevalence: 1.16% of all children
Strategies for Teaching: Strategies for Teaching:
• organize the seating and furniture to allow large • organize the seating and furniture to allow large
passageways passageways
• consult with the special education teachers for • consult with the special education teachers for
assistive technology assistive technology
• modify instruction to accommodate the student’s • modify instruction to accommodate the student’s
abilities abilities
• maintain flexible scheduling for support services • maintain flexible scheduling for support services
Physical health
disabilities impairments
Definition: injury to the brain that References:
total or partial deterioration of brain Smith, D. D., & Tyler, N. C.
functions (2010). Introduction to special
education: making a difference(7th ed.).
Causes: transportation accidents, violence, Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
sports injuries, child abuse
Image Citations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
Characteristics: headaches, fatigue, pagedooley/2474926476/sizes/z/in/
imbalance, paralysis, memory problems, photostream/
disorganization, unbalanced emotions,
difficulty with multi-step instructions and
problem solving Additional Resources:
Prevalence: 0.04% of all students http://www.nichcy.org/Disabilities/
Categories/Pages/Default.aspx
http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/
MCSsped/IDEAcat.htm
Strategies for Teaching:
• consistent schedule and routine http://www.education.com/reference/
• reduction of distractions article/IDEA-disabilities-categories/
• modified assignments
• provide multiple opportunities for practice
Angelyn Cheatham
Southern Methodist University
Special Topics in Special Education for General
Education Teachers
EDU 6389
Brain injury
