ABSTRACT

Many disabilities can affect students and adults. Some are genetic, some you can cause to

happen to yourself through accidents, but all require an understanding of the basic

reason behind the problem in order to help those affected by it. From learning

disabilities to blindness, the different ways that each can occur is specialized for each

individual and the effects it has on the individual and the family are just as

individualized. As students, each of these categories would require assistance under

IDEA and would need learning plans to help them proceed through entering school,

assistance through grade school and middle school, and a plan to bring them back

into the regular community when they get old enough to finally leave school behind

them. Many different mental and physical disabilities can affect a child and their ability to

learn. All will require additional time and effort and some ability to develop special

learning systems for those who need them. In each of these disabilities, we find that

they can occur before childbirth or after growth has started, depending on what

precisely happens to a child. All of these students will require Family assistance

before school, supports while in school, and a transition plan for after they leave

school that will allow them to arrive with an understanding of how the community

and finances work so that they can survive on their own.

MENTAL RETARDATION

Mental retardation is an intellectual disability, caused by a birth defect that gives the carrier lifelong problems. Some are nervous system disabilities that affect the brain, spinal cord and nervous system like Down syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. They also cause learning and behavioral disorders like Autism. They can also include sensory- related disabilities that cause vision, hearing, and sight problems; metabolic disorders that affect how your body processes materials needed to function; and degenerative disorders like Rett Syndrome, which becomes apparent when children are older and causes physical and mental problems. (NIH, Developmental Disabilities) There are no cures, but doctors can often treat symptoms. Often these same students need treatments for other things such as ADHD, which will help them in controlling impulses and in school with class work.

Intellectual Disability, what used to be called Mental Retardation, is defined by the

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as “a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 18.

“Intellectual functioning—also called intelligence—refers to general mental capacity, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, and so on.

“One criterion to measure intellectual functioning is an IQ test. Generally, an IQ test score of around 70 or as high as 75 indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.

“Standardized tests can also determine limitations in adaptive behavior, which comprises three skill types:

 Conceptual skills—language and literacy; money, time, and number concepts; and

self-direction.

 Social skills—interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility,

naïveté (i.e., wariness), social problem solving, and the ability to follow rules/obey

laws and to avoid being victimized.  Practical skills—activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills,

healthcare, travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety, use of money, use of

the telephone.

“On the basis of such many-sided evaluations, professionals can determine whether an individual has an intellectual disability and can tailor a support plan for each individual.”

(AAIDD)

Even with all this study and information, 40 to 50% of intellectual disabilities have to identifiable origin, even when all the non-genetic possibilities are accounted for such as fetal alcohol syndrome.

The term is being changed as much as possible. “[T]he word change from ‘mental retardation’ to ‘intellectual disability’ does reflect a revised focus.

 It is less offensive to persons with disabilities.

 It is more consistent with internationally used technology.

 It emphasizes the sense that intellectual disability is no longer considered an

absolute, invariable trait of a person.

 It aligns with current professional practices that focus on providing supports

tailored to individuals to enhance their functioning within particular environments.

 It opens the way to understanding and pursuing “disability identity,” including such

principles as self-worth, subjective well being, pride, engagement in political

action, and more.” (Schalock, Luckasson, and Shogren) However, the term ‘mental retardation’ is used for citizenship, legal status, civil and criminal justices, early care and education training and employment, income support, health care, housing and zoning, as well as by Federal education laws like IDEA, so it will not be leaving popular usage in the near future. (AAIDD)

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a complex injury. A main reason for the damage is intracranial pressure, which could only be reduced in injury patients relatively recently in medical history. If there is mild loss of consciousness or disorientation that lasts less than

30 minutes, the injury to the brain is considered mild. Memory or consciousness loss for more than 30 minutes makes a similar injury severe. The same word is used to define an injury where there has been skull penetration and memory loss of 24 hours. Individuals can be left in long-term unresponsive states, and even a small change in brain function can affect a person and their family, job, and social and community interactions.

The main causes are:

 Open head injuries where something penetrates the skull

 Closed head injuries from falls, motor vehicle crashes and the like

 Deceleration injuries (Coup-countercoup) where the brain in effect bounces around

inside the hard skull.  Chemicals and Toxins such as insecticides, solvents, carbon monoxide and lead

poisoning damage neurons in the brain.

 Hypoxia (Lack of Oxygen), which can even occur in heart attacks, respiratory

failure, and drops in blood pressure.

 Tumors growing on or over the brain.

 Infections like encephalitis and meningitis.

 Stroke (Lenrow, Finegan, and Cohen)

AUTISM

Autism is probably caused by a genetic problem. (Rudy) In fact, it has amazing similarities in the signs you see outwardly to such genetic defects as Fragile X Syndrome.

The hand flapping, the levels of excitement, the facial shape, the ears and chin that stand out are similar in both cases and some of the most current discoveries about Fragile X

Syndrome are assisting doctors dealing with Autistic children. In addition, despite the many theories about causes of Autism, few have been proven outside of the genetic version. There is no link between vaccinations and children being Autistic, nor is there any sign that it is related to nutrition problems.

What does happen is the child will almost seem as though they ware in their own world, interpreting things in ways that are not expected. “In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” often referred to as “red flags,” that indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:

 No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter

 No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine

months or thereafter

 No babbling by 12 months

 No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12

months

 No words by 16 months

 No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months

 Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age” (Autism Speaks)

DEAFNESS

Hearing Impairment/Deafness is a broad term used to describe a loss of hearing in one or both ears.

“There are different levels of hearing impairment:

 Hearing Impairment is complete or partial loss of the ability to hear from one or

both ears. The level of impairment can be mild, moderate, severe or profound  Deafness refers to the complete loss of ability to hear from one or both ears.”

(World Health Organization)

Because the two types can occur in many different levels of impairment, there are many different ways that such impairment can show itself. Primarily, however, it occurs one of two different ways:

“There are two types of hearing impairment, defined according to where the problem occurs:

 Conductive hearing impairment, which is a problem in the outer or middle ear.

This type of hearing problem is often medically or surgically treatable, if there is

access to the necessary services; childhood middle ear infection is the most

common example;

 Sensorineural hearing impairment, which is usually due to a problem with the inner

ear, and occasionally with the hearing nerve going from there to the brain. This

type of hearing problem is usually permanent and requires rehabilitation, such as

with a hearing aid. Common causes are excessive noise and ageing.” (WHO)

Deafness can be inherited, caused by premature birth or if the baby was lacking oxygen, due to rubella syphilis or other diseases during pregnancy, because of jaundice in a newborn, or use of one of the 130 drugs that can damage the inner ear if given during pregnancy. Meningitis, measles, mumps, and chronic ear infections in childhood or in later life could cause it. Those same130 drugs can damage the ear if used by adults in some cases, as can a head or ear injury, wax or foreign bodies in the ear at any age, excessive noise or just the accumulated exposure to noise from a long life can all cause difficulty hearing if not complete deafness.

BLINDNESS

Vision problems can develop before a child is even born. Sometimes parts of the eye do not form properly so the brain cannot process the information they send. It can be genetic, inherited, or caused by an accident or illness like diabetes. Some people can even have cataracts form that prevent the eye from seeing. Like some of the other disabilities listed here, these can occur in varying degrees, and there can even be people who can

“see” but not enough to be able to do things the way others can, or “legally blind.” For the simplest vision impairments, glasses or contacts could be all that are needed to help a person see. However, if glasses and contact lenses cannot make the vision better, the idea of legal blindness occurs.

In some cases there are surgeries that can help restore blindness, but not everything can be repaired with surgery.

In a blind baby, development will occur normally, but the child will need specialists to help them teach the child and they will need special learning programs. (Hered)

CONCLUSION Each of these different physical or mental problems have been called disabilities throughout the essay. Perhaps they should instead become part of a major undertaking to rename them all. These students will not be disabled, they will be differently abled, and while they may be told they have special needs if we are honest, there is no one who does not have some special needs. Someone I just met had been calling these disABILITIES for several years now, trying to emphasize that these students can do what anyone can do if given the opportunity. Moreover, they could just deserve the chance. References

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). “Definition of Intellectual Disability.” Retrieved 3/2/10. http://www.aaidd.org/content_100.cfm?navID=21.

Autism Speaks, Inc. Learn the Signs of Autism. Retrieved 3/1/10. http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/learnsigns.php.

Kaneshiro, Neil K.. (Updated 11/2/09) MedlinePlus. “Mental retardation.” Retrieved 3/1/10. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001523.htm.

Hered, MD, Robert W. (Updated 11/07) Kids Health. “Blindness” Retrieved 3/1/10. http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/sight/visual_impaired.html#.

Lenrow, M.D., David, Joanne Finegan, and Stewart L Cohen. “What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?” Retrieved 3/1/10. http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Medline Plus. “Developmental Disabilities.” Retrieved 3/2/10. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/developmentaldisabilities.html.

Rudy, Lisa Jo. (Updated 3/22/2009) About.com. “What causes Autism?” Retrieved 3/2/10. http://autism.about.com/od/whatisautism/p/autismcauses.htm.

Schalock, Robert L., Ruth A. Luckasson, and Karrie A. Shogren, “Perspectives: The Renaming of Mental Retardation: Understanding the Change to the Term Intellectual Disability,” Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 45:2 (2007): 116-124.

World Health Organization. (Updated 3/06) “Deafness and Hearing impairment.” Retrieved 3/1/10. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/index.html.