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Deafness is the complete loss of hearing. What some people call partial deafness is now better known as being hard of hearing. If you are deaf, you cannot hear well enough to hold a conversation through sound alone, although some people who are deaf hear noises in their ears like ringing, humming, hissing, whistling, clicking, roaring, whooshing or buzzing. This is known as tinnitus.
Resource: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/deafness#:~:text=Deafness%20is%20the%20complete%20loss,our%20page%20on%20hearing%20loss.

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Hearing Loss Simulation - What's It Like?

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Hearing Loss Simulation - What's It Like?

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Hearing Loss Simulation - What's It Like?

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Resource: https://assistedtechnology.weebly.com/assistive-technology-for-deafhard-of-hearing-children-erin-turner.html#:~:text=FM%20System%2D%20FM%20systems%20send,%2C%20or%20a%20headset%2F%20earbuds.

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Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, which adversely affects a student’s educational performance. 

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Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, which adversely affects a student’s educational performance. 

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Developmental Delay means a disability affecting a child aged two (by September 30) to six, inclusive (age two up to age seven), who is experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures.

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Emotional Disability means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

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The IDEA's Special Education Categories: Emotional Disturbance

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Hearing Impairment means impairment in hearing, in one or both ears, with or without amplification, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a student’s educational performance but is not included under the definition of deafness.

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How common are Autism Spectrum Disorders ?

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How common are Autism Spectrum Disorders ?

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Across the CDC surveillance sites, an average of 1 in every 44 (2.3%) 8-year-old children were estimated to have ASD in 2018.

ASD is 4.2 times as prevalent among boys (3.7%) as among girls (0.9%).

ASD is reported to occur in all racial and ethnic groups.

(Reference: Prevalence data for ASD comes from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.)

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Communication :

1. Use short sentences when giving instructions.

2. Use words in addition to gestures and facial expressions.

3. Help student interpret conversations.

Socialization:

1. Be aware that student may feel very uncomfortable with eye contact.

2. Teach student to accurately label his / her own emotions.

3. Target perspective-taking skills.

Restrictive, Repetitive, and Stereotyped Behavior:

1. Reinforce desirable behaviors that serve as alternatives to inappropriate behaviors (teaching the student what to do rather than what not to do).

2. Provide student a "time out" pass for a few minutes of free time to leave the classroom.

3. Provide student a "time out" pass for a few minutes of free time to leave the classroom.

Daily Living:

1. Break down / task-analyze skills into steps.

2. Explicitly teach grooming and dressing skills as needed.

3. Use visual schedules and reminders to teach daily living skills.

Academics and Organization:

1. When doing group work, provide a list of clear expectations and tasks for each member.

2. Use various means of presentation - visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, etc.  Keep in mind that many students with autism tend to process information much better visually than verbally.

3. Use peer buddies.

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Intellectual disability can be caused by a problem that starts any time before a child turns 18 years old – even before birth. It can be caused by injury, disease, or a problem in the brain. For many children, the cause of their intellectual disability is not known. Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability – like Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects, and infections – happen before birth. Others happen while a baby is being born or soon after birth. Still other causes of intellectual disability do not occur until a child is older; these might include serious head injury, stroke, or certain infections.

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Intellectual disability can be caused by a problem that starts any time before a child turns 18 years old – even before birth. It can be caused by injury, disease, or a problem in the brain. For many children, the cause of their intellectual disability is not known. Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability – like Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects, and infections – happen before birth. Others happen while a baby is being born or soon after birth. Still other causes of intellectual disability do not occur until a child is older; these might include serious head injury, stroke, or certain infections.

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sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children

learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking

find it hard to remember things

have trouble understanding social rules

have trouble seeing the results of their actions

have trouble solving problems

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How Common Are Intellectual Disabilities?

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How Common Are Intellectual Disabilities?

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Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability. Approximately 1 – 3 percent of the global population has an intellectual disability—as many as 200 million people.

Intellectual disability is significantly more common in low-income countries—16.41 in every 1,000 people. Disabilities overall are more common in low-income countries.

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How Can Technology Assist students with ASD?

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How Can Technology Assist students with ASD?

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Using  Assistive Technology Device for Communication

There are three steps to use our device to make a request.
Step 1: Start by modeling how it’s done!
Step 2: Any time the device user tries to repeat the word, or say the word, make sure to reward him!
Step 3: Any time you’re the individual tries to communicate using the device, make sure to reward him or her!
(Reference: Tips for Using Assistive Technology Devices, Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/tips-using-assistive-technology-devices)

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Students with intellectual disability may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks.

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Students with intellectual disability may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks.

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Allow extensions to assignment deadlines

Use technology to record students work, e.g. digital photography, tape and video.

Students may take longer to organise thoughts and sequence material. They will benefit from discussing their outlines, with particular attention being paid to appropriate relationships and connections between points.

Encourage the student to submit an early draft of assignments to allow the opportunity for feedback to the student as a formative process.

Students with an intellectual disability will need extra time in an examination for reading and analysing questions and for planning their answers. Some students will request that examination questions be read to them. Some students may prefer to dictate their answers to a scribe. They will need a venue which is quiet and distraction-free.

Keep short your written examination instructions and sentences within examination questions. Questions using bullet points, lists or distinct parts are more likely to be correctly interpreted.

Because students with intellectual  disability find it difficult to read multiple choice questions in a way that allows them to appreciate subtle changes in the arrangement of words, short answer questions will be a better test of their knowledge.

Students may benefit from an exam timetable that features a number of days between exams to assist in exam preparation.

Many students with intellectual disability are chronic misspellers and use dictionaries only with great difficulty.

https://www.adcet.edu.au/inclusive-teaching/specific-disabilities/intellectual-disability

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The term 'intellectual disability' refers to a group of conditions caused by various genetic disorders and infections. Intellectual disability is usually identified during childhood, and has an ongoing impact on an individual's development. Intellectual disability can be defined as a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and to cope independently including social functioning. As with all disability groups, there are many types of intellectual disability with varying degrees of severity. These include considerable differences in the nature and extent of the intellectual impairments and functional limitations, the causes of the disability, the personal background and social environment of the individual. Some people have genetic disorders that impact severely on their intellectual, social and other functional abilities. Others with mild intellectual impairment may develop adequate living skills and are able to lead relatively independent adult lives. Approximately 75 per cent of people with intellectual disability are only mildly affected, with 25 per cent moderately, severely or profoundly affected.

Impact of intellectual disability

The characteristics and impact of a person's intellectual disability will vary depending on the cause. There are a number of common characteristics that may have a significant impact on an individual's learning, including:

difficulty understanding new information

difficulties with communication and social skills

slow cognitive processing time

difficulty in the sequential processing of information

difficulties comprehending abstract concepts.

Austed discussions during 2014 highlighted the challenges that students with an intellectual disability can experience at university level. Students may cope well with the 'hands-on' components of post-secondary study, but find it difficult to understand complex information.

One strategy known to be successful is to integrate people with an intellectual disability by providing opportunities for auditing classes. Auditing is an approach whereby a person attends lectures in an award course for general interest (i.e. not for the purpose of completing the requirements of the award). Auditing does not include assessment, online learning material, or attendance at laboratory or tutorial classes. It can include access to the library and general campus facilities.

Teaching strategies

It is important to know that despite difficulties in a learning environment students with intellectual disability can and do have the capacity to acquire and use new information. There is a range of inclusive teaching strategies that can assist all students to learn but there are some specific strategies that are useful in teaching a group which includes students with intellectual disability:

Provide an outline of what will be taught - highlight key concepts and provide opportunities to practise new skills and concepts.

Provide reading lists well before the start of a course so that reading can begin early.

Consider tailoring reading lists and provide guidance to key texts. Allow work to be completed on an in-depth study of a few texts rather than a broad study of many.

Whenever you are introducing procedures or processes or giving directions, for example in a laboratory or computing exercise, ensure that stages or sequences are made clear and are explained in verbal as well as written form.

Students may benefit from using assistive technology.

Use as many verbal descriptions as possible to supplement material presented on blackboard or overhead

Use clear, succinct, straightforward language.

Reinforce learning by using real-life examples and environments.

Present information in a range of formats - handouts, worksheets, overheads, videos - to meet a diversity of learning styles.

Use a variety of teaching methods so that students are not constrained by needing to acquire information by reading only. Where possible, present material diagrammatically - in lists, flow charts, concept maps etc.

Keep diagrams uncluttered and use colour wherever appropriate to distinguish and highlight.

Ensure that lists of technical/professional jargon which students will need to learn are available early in the course.

Recording lectures will assist those students who have handwriting or coordination problems and those who write slowly as well as those who have a tendency to mishear or misquote.

Students will be more likely to follow correctly the sequence of material in a lecture if they are able to listen to the material more than once.

Wherever possible, ensure that key statements and instructions are repeated or highlighted in some way.

One-to-one tutoring in subjects may be important; this can include peer tutoring.

Students may benefit from having oral rather than written feedback on their written assignments.

It may be helpful for students with intellectual disability to have an individual orientation to laboratory equipment or computers to minimise anxiety.

Assessment strategies

Students with intellectual disability may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks. Once you have a clear picture of how the disability impacts on learning, you can consider alternative assessment strategies. In considering alternative forms of assessment, equal opportunity is not a guaranteed outcome, it is the objective. You are not expected to lower standards to accommodate students with disability but rather are required to give them a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned:

Allow extensions to assignment deadlines

Use technology to record students work, e.g. digital photography, tape and video.

Students may take longer to organise thoughts and sequence material. They will benefit from discussing their outlines, with particular attention being paid to appropriate relationships and connections between points.

Encourage the student to submit an early draft of assignments to allow the opportunity for feedback to the student as a formative process.

Students with an intellectual disability will need extra time in an examination for reading and analysing questions and for planning their answers. Some students will request that examination questions be read to them. Some students may prefer to dictate their answers to a scribe. They will need a venue which is quiet and distraction-free.

Keep short your written examination instructions and sentences within examination questions. Questions using bullet points, lists or distinct parts are more likely to be correctly interpreted.

Because students with intellectual disability find it difficult to read multiple choice questions in a way that allows them to appreciate subtle changes in the arrangement of words, short answer questions will be a better test of their knowledge.

Students may benefit from an exam timetable that features a number of days between exams to assist in exam preparation.

Many students with intellectual disability are chronic misspellers and use dictionaries only with great difficulty.

Resources

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The term 'intellectual disability' refers to a group of conditions caused by various genetic disorders and infections. Intellectual disability is usually identified during childhood, and has an ongoing impact on an individual's development. Intellectual disability can be defined as a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and to cope independently including social functioning.

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Speech disorders affect a person’s ability to form the sounds that allow them to communicate with other people. They are not the same as language disorders.

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Speech disorders affect a person’s ability to form the sounds that allow them to communicate with other people. They are not the same as language disorders.

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of autism?

The autism diagnosis age and intensity of autism’s early signs vary widely. Some infants show hints in their first months. In others, behaviors become obvious as late as age 2 or 3.

Not all children with autism show all the signs. Many children who don’t have autism show a few. That’s why professional evaluation is crucial.

The following may indicate your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. If your child exhibits any of the following, ask your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation right away:

By 6 months

Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions

Limited or no eye contact

By 9 months

Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions

By 12 months

Little or no babbling

Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving

Little or no response to name

By 16 months

Very few or no words

By 24 months

Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)

At any age

Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills

Avoidance of eye contact

Persistent preference for solitude

Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings

Delayed language development

Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)

Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings

Restricted interests

Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)

Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

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Some types of speech disorder include stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria. We discuss each of these types below:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324764#types

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Speech is the process of producing specific sounds that convey meaning to the listener. A speech disorder refers to any condition that affects a person's ability to produce sounds that create words.

Speech is one of the main ways in which people communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. The act of speaking requires the precise coordination of multiple body parts, including the head, neck, chest, and abdomen.

In this article, we explore what speech disorders are and the different types. We also cover the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of speech disorders.

Speech disorders affect a person's ability to form the sounds that allow them to communicate with other people. They are not the same as language disorders.

Speech disorders prevent people from forming correct speech sounds, while language disorders affect a person's ability to learn words or understand what others say to them.

However, both speech and language disorders can make it more difficult for a person to express their thoughts and feelings to others.

Speech disorders can affect people of all ages.

Some types of speech disorder include stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria. We discuss each of these types below:

Stuttering

Stuttering refers to a speech disorder that interrupts the flow of speech. People who stutter can experience the following types of disruption:

Repetitions occur when people involuntarily repeat sounds, vowels, or words.

Blocks happen when people know what they want to say but have difficulty making the necessary speech sounds. Blocks may cause someone to feel as though their words are stuck.

Prolongations refer to the stretching or drawing out of particular sounds or words.

The symptoms of stuttering can vary depending on the situation. Stress, excitement, or frustration can cause stuttering to become more severe. Some people may also find that certain words or sounds can make a stutter more pronounced.

Stuttering can cause both behavioral and physical symptoms that occur at the same time. These can include:

tension in the face and shoulders

rapid blinking

lip tremors

clenched fists

sudden head movements

There are two main types of stuttering:

Developmental stuttering affects young children who are still learning speech and language skills. Genetic factors significantly increase a person's likelihood of developing this type of stutter.

Neurogenic stuttering occurs when damage to the brain prevents proper coordination between the different regions of the brain that play a role in speech.

Apraxia

The brain controls every single action that people make, including speaking. Most of the brain's involvement in speech is unconscious and automatic.

When someone decides to speak, the brain sends signals to the different structures of the body that work together to produce speech. The brain instructs these structures how and when to move to form the appropriate sounds.

For example, these speech signals open or close the vocal cords, move the tongue and shape the lips, and control the movement of air through the throat and mouth.

Apraxia is a general term referring to brain damage that impairs a person's motor skills, and it can affect any part of the body. Apraxia of speech, or verbal apraxia, refers specifically to the impairment of motor skills that affect an individual's ability to form the sounds of speech correctly, even when they know which words they want to say.

Dysarthria

Dysarthria occurs when damage to the brain causes muscle weakness in a person's face, lips, tongue, throat, or chest. Muscle weakness in these parts of the body can make speaking very difficult.

People who have dysarthria may experience the following symptoms:

slurred speech

mumbling

speaking too slowly or too quickly

soft or quiet speech

difficulty moving the mouth or tongue

Symptoms of a speech disorder can include repeating or prolonging sounds, rearranging syllables, and speaking very softly.

The symptoms of speech disorders vary widely depending on the cause and severity of the disorder. People can develop multiple speech disorders with different symptoms.

People with one or more speech disorders may experience the following symptoms:

repeating or prolonging sounds

distorting sounds

adding sounds or syllables to words

rearranging syllables

having difficulty pronouncing words correctly

struggling to say the correct word or sound

speaking with a hoarse or raspy voice

speaking very softly

Causes of speech disorders can include:

Risk factors that can increase the likelihood of a person developing a speech disorder include:

being male

being born prematurely

having a low weight at birth

having a family history of speech disorders

experiencing problems that affect the ears, nose, or throat

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a healthcare professional who specializes in speech and language disorders.

An SLP will evaluate a person for groups of symptoms that indicate one type of speech disorder. To make an accurate diagnosis, SLPs need to rule out other speech and language disorders and medical conditions.

An SLP will review a person's medical and family history. They will also examine how a person moves their lips, jaw, and tongue and may inspect the muscles of the mouth and throat.

Other methods of evaluating speech disorders include:

Denver articulation screening examination. This test evaluates the clarity of a person's pronunciation.

Prosody-voice screening profile. SLPs use this test to examine multiple aspects of a person's speech, including pitch, phrasing, speech patterns, and speaking volume.

Dynamic evaluation of motor speech skills (DEMSS) manual. The DEMSS is a comprehensive guide for helping SLPs diagnose speech disorders.

The type of treatment will typically depend on the severity of the speech disorder and its underlying cause.

Treatment options can include:

speech therapy exercises that focus on building familiarity with certain words or sounds

physical exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles that produce speech sounds

We discuss some of the treatment options for speech disorders below:

Target selection

Target selection involves a person practicing specific sounds or words to familiarize themselves with particular speech patterns. Examples of therapy targets may include difficult words or sounds that trigger speech disruptions.

Contextual utilization

For this approach, SLPs teach people to recognize speech sounds in different syllable-based contexts.

Contrast therapy

Contrast therapy involves saying word pairs that contain one or more different speech sounds. An example word pair might be "beat" and "feet" or "dough" and "show."

Oral-motor therapy

The oral-motor therapy approach focuses on improving muscle strength, motor control, and breath control. These exercises can help people develop fluency, which produces smoother speech that sounds more natural.

Ear device

Ear devices are small electronic aids that fit inside the ear canal. These devices can help improve fluency in people who have a stutter.

Some ear devices replay altered versions of the wearer's voice to make it seem as though someone else is speaking with them. Other ear devices produce a noise that helps control stuttering.

Medication

Some speech disorders can cause people to develop anxiety disorders. Stressful situations can trigger anxiety, resulting in more pronounced speech disorder symptoms. Anxiety medications may help reduce symptoms of speech disorders in some people.

Speech disorders affect a person's ability to produce sounds that create words. They are not the same as language disorders, which make it more difficult for people to learn words or understand what others are saying to them.

Types of speech disorder include stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria. There are many possible causes of speech disorders, including muscles weakness, brain injuries, degenerative diseases, autism, and hearing loss.

Speech disorders can affect a person's self-esteem and their overall quality of life. However, speech therapy, breathing exercises, and, sometimes, anti-anxiety medications can help improve speech and reduce symptoms.

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Speech disorders: Types, symptoms, causes, and treatment

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Speech is the process of producing specific sounds that convey meaning to the listener. A speech disorder refers to any condition that affects a person's ability to produce sounds that create words. Speech is one of the main ways in which people communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others.

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Children's symptoms

Infants and young children with brain injuries might not be able to communicate headaches, sensory problems, confusion and similar symptoms. In a child with traumatic brain injury, you may observe:

Change in eating or nursing habits

Unusual or easy irritability

Persistent crying and inability to be consoled

Change in ability to pay attention

Change in sleep habits

Seizures

Sad or depressed mood

Drowsiness

Loss of interest in favorite toys or activities

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Eight Academic Domains of SLD:

Oral Expression

Listening Comprehension

Written Expression

Basic Reading Skills

Reading Fluency Skills

Reading Comprehension

Mathematics Calculation

Mathematics Problem Solving

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Dyslexia is not primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disability; an intellectual disability; emotional disability; a lack of appropriate instruction; cultural factors; environmental or economic disadvantage; or limited English proficiency.

Early identification of the characteristics of dyslexia is critical, leading to focused, evidence-based interventions, accommodations, self-awareness, self-empowerment, and school and life success.

Without targeted, systematic and explicit instruction/interventions along with accommodations (e.g., accessible educational materials in content area subjects), students with dyslexia may have:

reduced reading experiences that may impact the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge,

difficulty with written expression, and/or

difficulty learning a second language.

Students with dyslexia may demonstrate additional behavioral and/or emotional reactions to their difficulty with learning to read.

Effective, research-based interventions for phonemic awareness and/or phonics may bring some students with dyslexia to grade expectations in those areas, but the students may still have lingering difficulties in reading fluency, spelling, and/or written expression, which may require intervention.

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https://www.understood.org/en/articles/at-a-glance-classroom-accommodations-for-dyslexia

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For kids with dyslexia, reading can be challenging. Spelling and writing can be challenging too. What classroom accommodations help level the playing field for students with dyslexia? Here's a look at some of the supports teachers can use to help students who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing.

Classroom materials and routines

Post visual schedules and also read them out loud.

Provide colored strips or bookmarks to help focus on a line of text when reading.

Hand out letter and number strips so the student can see how to write correctly.

Use large-print text for worksheets.

Use audiobooks like those available through services like Bookshare, a free online library for students with disabilities.

Allow the student to use a text reader like a Reading Pen or text-to-speech software.

Use speech-to-text software to help with writing.

Have on hand "hi-lo" books (books with high-interest topics for students reading below grade level).

Provide extra time for reading and writing.

Give the student multiple opportunities to read the same text.

Use reading buddies during worktime (as appropriate).

Partner up for studying - one student writes while the other speaks, or they share the writing.

Pre-teach new concepts and vocabulary.

Provide the student with typed notes or an outline of the lesson to help with taking notes.

Provide advance organizers to help the student follow along during a lesson.

Provide a glossary of content-related terms.

Use visual or audio support to help the student understand written materials in the lecture.

Give step-by-step directions and read written instructions out loud.

Simplify directions using key words for the most important ideas.

Highlight key words and ideas on worksheets for the student to read first.

Check in frequently to make sure the student understands and can repeat the directions.

Show examples of correct and completed work to serve as a model.

Provide a rubric that describes the elements of a successful assignment.

Help the student break assignments into smaller steps.

Give self-monitoring checklists and guiding questions for reading comprehension.

Arrange worksheet problems from easiest to hardest.

Completing tests and assignments

Grade the student on the content that needs to be mastered, not on things like spelling or reading fluency.

Allow understanding to be demonstrated in different ways, like oral reports, posters, and video presentations.

Provide different ways to respond to test questions, like saying the answers or circling an answer instead of filling in the blank.

Provide sentence starters that show how to begin a written response.

Provide extended time for taking tests.

Provide a quiet room for taking tests, if needed.

Do you have a student with dyslexia? Read a one-page fact sheet to learn more about this common learning difference.

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

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What types of accommodations can help students with dyslexia? Here are some classroom accommodations to talk over with your child's school.

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It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual.  We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.

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It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual.  We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.

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1.Learning and Academics
2.Socialization
3.Behavior
4.Affective Characteristics
https://do2learn.com/disabilities/CharacteristicsAndStrategies/EmotionalDisturbance_Strategies.html

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It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual. We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.
Go to the Site Map for a full list of resources and activities!

Learning and Academics

Post a general class schedule that indicates what students should be expected to do as they enter your classroom, when homework is collected, etc.

Before your students enter class, write on the board what will happen during that specific class period and how long each activity will take.

Develop and maintain an active schedule with evenly intermixed direction instruction, individual seatwork, and cooperative learning activities.

To prevent student frustration, intersperse more challenging, acquisition-oriented learning activities with review / maintenance-enhancing activities.

Provide time for the student to catch up on missed work or to review concepts that they are struggling with.

If the student enters your classroom just after lunch or physical education, it may be necessary to first engage them in a lively class discussion to appropriately "channel" excess distractibility or hyperactivity.

Use self-monitoring checklists that the student can use to check off activities as completed.

Break assignments into "chunks" to avoid overwhelming the student.

Seat student in close proximity to teacher, towards front of the room.

Provide additional review.

Teach self-monitoring for attention.

Use separate setting and/or extended time for exams and tests if needed.

Explicitly teach test-taking strategies.

Explicitly teach organizational skills (use of planners, notebooks, folders, checklists).

Ask previous teachers about techniques that were effective with the student in the past.

Anticipate classroom situations where the student's emotional state may be vulnerable.

Be aware of how the student communicates.

Keep instructions simple and very structured.

Provide opportunities for group participation.

Keep classroom organized.

Serve as a model for the students.

Provide structure in classroom with regard to physical features of the room, scheduling, routines, and rules of conduct.

Clearly distinguish time, place, and expectations during unstructured activities.

Let students know your expectations.

Provide students with clearly stated learning objectives.

Use visual supports to supplement verbally delivered instructions and information.

Seek input from student about his / her strengths and weaknesses.

Modify classroom activities to meet the learning needs of the student, while maintaining the same learning objectives.

Be sensitive when pairing students together.

Keep activity instructions simple but structured.

Acknowledge contributions of student.

Be aware of student's socialization skills when asking for participation.

Make a plan with student to replace inappropriate responses with appropriate responses.

Work gradually toward group activities.

Target and teach behaviors such as taking turns, working with partners, and following directions.

Demonstrate and reward appropriate reading.

Review and discuss with the student all of the steps involved in activity.

Give clear examples of what the student should expect with an activity or project.

Prepare alternative activities that the student can work on independently.

Collect a portfolio of work samples from the student.

Teach student how to attribute successes to effective strategy use and effort.

Monitor student progress through informal assessment.

Self-monitoring techniques can be used in the school setting. Self-monitoring of attention involves signals to the student to determine how much attention is being paid to a task. This can be done using a signal such as a random beep, timer, or cue provided by the teacher. The student then records on or off task behavior on a recording sheet. Self-monitoring techniques can be tied to rewards and accuracy checks.

Socialization

Explicitly and frequently teach social rules and skills.

Model appropriate responses to social situations.

Engage student in role-play opportunities to practice appropriate responses.

Explain rules / rationales behind social exchanges.

Target perspective-taking skills.

Teach student to accurately label his / her own emotions.

Teach student to accurately label the emotional status of others (based on facial cues, verbal cues, etc.).

Be aware of and control for teachers, aides, and students with whom the student interacts negatively.

Behavior

Arrange observation and data collection system to monitor student's behavior across all school contexts.

Use data to inform decision-making.

Regularly communicate with family members and teachers to ensure consistent response to student's behavior.

Model tolerance and acceptance.

Provide opportunities for the student to assume responsibilities, such as distributing papers.

Teach other students to ignore inappropriate attention-seeking behaviors.

Have other students (who demonstrate appropriate behavior) serve as peer tutors.

Be aware that some students may work better alone.

Develop rules that are clear (and give concrete examples).

Specify rewards for following rules, as well as consequences when rules are disobeyed.

Be consistent when enforcing rules, emphasize positive over punitive.

Model responses to potential triggers for escalation.

Engage student in role-play opportunities to practice appropriate responses.

Provide models of acceptable behaviors.

Respond to the student, not to their behavior.

Use positive and age-appropriate comments frequently to reinforce good behavior.

Teach students to monitor their own behavior.

Use individualized behavioral contracts with the student.

Monitor seating arrangements in the classroom.

Teach student to identify signs of stress, anxiety, anger, etc.

Be aware of the student's triggers for anger, stress, and anxiety.

Use visual organizers to help student evaluate appropriate alternatives to maladaptive behavior.

Teach student to describe the conflict or problem, identify possible responses, select a response, and evaluate the selected response.

"Think out loud" as you generate alternatives and select a response.

Provide subtle pre-corrective prompts in situations where the student has often displayed interpersonal relationship problems in the past.

Use visual scales to help the student label escalating emotions (e.g. 1-5 scales, Volcano scale).

Teach and practice coping strategies to reduce anxiety, stress, anger, etc.

Develop a coping plan; rehearse plan with student when they are calm.

Keep potentially harmful objects or substances out of reach.

Use time-out sessions to cool off disruptive behavior.

Make sure the punishment fits the "crime."

Immediately praise good behavior and performance.

Pre-establish consequences for misbehavior with student.

Administer consequences immediately.

Withhold reinforcement for inappropriate behavior.

Recognize signs of escalation.

Remain calm, state misconduct, and avoid debating or arguing with student.

Ask student for reward ideas.

Change rewards if they are not effective in changing behavior.

Develop a schedule for using positive reinforcement; work to thin that schedule of reinforcement over time.

Work for overall improvement, which may be slow.

If student has a desire for attention, find ways to recognize positive contributions.

If student shows aggressiveness, being in charge of an activity may reduce aggressiveness.

Set goals with the student that can realistically be achieved.

Set up a special time-out location, so student has a place to go to take a break (could be a quick trip to the restroom or water fountain).

Behavior management techniques can be used in the home, school, and community settings. Functional Behavior Assessments/Behavior Intervention Plans can be created by examining a student's specific problem behavior, identifying antecedents, understanding consequences that maintain the behavior, and developing strategies to reduce the inappropriate behavior and increase desirable behavior.

Affective Characteristics

Regularly communicate with family members, guidance counselors, community-based service providers, counselors, etc.

Be aware of fears (through communication with the student, teachers, and parents).

Be aware of medication schedules and what the medication effects may be.

Be positive and supportive.

Introduce opportunities for free writing, journaling, or drawing to express feelings.

Monitor for signs of drug and alcohol use.

Monitor for signs of self-mutilation (e.g. cutting).

Monitor for signs of gang involvement.

Take any threats of suicide seriously; immediately report threats.

Medication can be prescribed to address symptoms of mood disorders, psychotic disorders, or anxiety disorders.

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picture exchange communication system cards

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Do2Learn: Educational Resources for Special Needs

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picture communication cards, songs, games and learning activities for autism, aspergers, fetal alcohol syndrome and disabilities

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We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.

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We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.

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1.Physical Development
2.Cognitive Development (intellectual abilities)
3.communication Development (speech and language)
4.Social and Emotional Development
5.Adaptive Behavior (everyday skills for functioning)
https://do2learn.com/disabilities/CharacteristicsAndStrategies/DevelopmentalDelay_Strategies.html

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It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual. We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.
Go to the Site Map for a full list of resources and activities!

Adaptive Behavior (everyday skills for functioning)

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picture exchange communication system cards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Do2Learn: Educational Resources for Special Needs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual. We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts. Go to the Site Map for a full list of resources and activities! Adaptive Behavior (everyday skills for functioning)

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FIVE TIPS FOR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

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FIVE TIPS FOR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

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https://mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/education/five-tips-for-teachers-of-students-with-hearing-impairment

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Kids using tablets in class

1. Use captions
All students benefit from captions and especially those who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, plus those with English as a second language. To cater for these students it is important to use only captioned multimedia such as TV, online video and DVDs. Captions provide vital access to multimedia content. Media Access Australia'sCAP THAT! initiative was created to focus on the importance and use of captions in the classroom, and still provides relevant advice and downloadable resources.

2. Make use of available technology
Many classrooms are now equipped with technologies such as interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and soundfield amplification systems. If you have access to these technologies or anything similar, ensure that you've been briefed on how to best use them to complement your teaching. A simple Google search will confirm just how much choice is out there.

3. Use visual stimulus
Students who have a hearing impairment require visual cues/ support in their learning to assist their understanding of content. And of course, so do children who have English as a second language. Teachers can use visual stimuli such as providing lesson outlines, main points and any directions on IWB or display boards to help these students.

4. Consider classroom arrangement
There are always variables as to where a student who has a hearing impairment should sit in the classroom. Ensure that these students are in a position where your face (and ideally the faces of other students if they are participating in class discussion) are clearly visible, and where the sound of your voice is least obstructed.

5. Keep unnecessary noise to a minimum
Students who have a hearing impairment find it very difficult to concentrate when there is background noise. Blocking out some or all of this noise through closing doors or windows can be a simple and effective measure. Remember that even if your student or students use assistive hearing technology, they do not hear in the same way that their peers do. They will benefit from having unnecessary background noise to a minimum.

Top of page

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Five tips for teachers of students with hearing impairment

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Kids using tablets in class Use captions All students benefit from captions and especially those who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, plus those with English as a second language. To cater for these students it is important to use only captioned multimedia such as TV, online video and DVDs.

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Special seating arrangements to develop useful posture and movements

Instruction focused on development of gross and fine motor skills

Securing suitable augmentative communication and other assistive devices

Awareness of medical condition and its affect on the student (such as getting tired quickly)

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speech recognition software

screen reading software

augmentative and alternative communication devices (such as communication boards)

academic software packages for students with disabilities

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Signs and Symptoms of Developmental Delay

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Signs and Symptoms of Developmental Delay

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Learning and developing more slowly than other children same age

Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking much later than developmentally appropriate

Difficulty communicating or socializing with others

Lower than average scores on IQ tests

Difficulties talking or talking late

Having problems remembering things

Inability to connect actions with consequences

Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking

Trouble learning in school

Inability to do everyday tasks like getting dressed or using the restroom without help

Resource：
https://www.ssmhealth.com/cardinal-glennon/conditions-treatments/developmental-pediatrics/developmental-delay

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How common are Developmental Disabilities?

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How common are Developmental Disabilities?

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Developmental delays are common in childhood, occurring in 10%–15% of preschool children. Global developmental delays are less common, occurring in 1%–3% of preschool children.
（Reference：Singapore Med J. 2019 Mar; 60(3): 119–123. Developmental delay: identification and management at primary care level)

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How does Developmental Delay affect learning?

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How does Developmental Delay affect learning?

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Children with Developmental Delay usually take longer to acquire new skills from the early years. They may be lacking the foundational skills required to learn, and acquiring these skills may take longer than their peers.

Children with Developmental Delay often require additional and intensive support in educational settings to learn new skills, as well as to help them learn at a faster rate and catch up to their peers.

Resource: https://www.mosaicearlyintervention.com.au/blog/global-developmental-delay#:~:text=diagnosis%20is%20given.-,How%20Does%20Global%20Developmental%20Delay%20Affect%20Learning%3F,take%20longer%20than%20their%20peers.

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How Can Technology Assist students with Developmental Disabilities?

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How Can Technology Assist students with Developmental Disabilities?

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If a student has a physical developmental delay, he or she may be difficult for him or her. The student may need support with fine motor skills.

There are apps available for both iPad and android tablets that provide a tech tool for increasing fine motor skills. Such as "Crabby Writer" "Little Writer"

(Reference: Assistive Technology for Developmental Delays, Part 1, Rachael Hope, from Youtube)

If a student has a cognitive delay, he may have trouble remembering daily routines.

We can create visual schedules on apps, which help improve behaviors related to changes in a routine and reinforce or teach abstract concepts, such as time and actions, and break down multi-step tasks into smaller, more manageble parts. It also can help increase child's independence by improving his ability to complete parts of his routine with less help or prompting.

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How does hearing loss affects academic achievement?

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How does hearing loss affects academic achievement?

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• Children with a hearing loss have difficulty with all
areas of academic achievement, especially reading and
mathematical skills.
• Children with a mild to moderate hearing loss, achieve
one to four grade levels lower, on average, than
their peers with normal hearing, unless appropriate
management occurs.
• Children with a severe to profound hearing loss usually
achieve skills no higher than the third- or fourth-grade
level, unless appropriate educational intervention
occurs early.
Resource: https://www.asha.org/siteassets/ais/ais-hearing-loss-development-effects.pdf

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Vision impairment means that a person’s eyesight cannot be corrected to a “normal” level.
Vision impairment may be caused by a loss of visual acuity, where the eye does not see objects as clearly as usual. It may also be caused by a loss of visual field, where the eye cannot see as wide an area as usual without moving the eyes or turning the head.
Resources:
http://ophthalmology.pitt.edu/vision-impairment/what-vision-impairment#:~:text=Vision%20impairment%20means%20that%20a,objects%20as%20clearly%20as%20usual.

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FM System: FM systems send the teacher's voice from a wireless microphone directly to a receiver worn by a student with hearing loss. It can be connected to a hearing aid or cochlear implant, or a headset/ earbuds.

Closed Captioning- Closed captions provide spoken dialogue as printed words on a screen when playing a video or audio.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)- AAC devices are communication devices, systems, tools, and strategies that replace or support verbal communication for those who have difficulties using speech. They use pictures or symbols to represent words that students can use to create phrases or sentences to communicate nonverbally.

Speech to Text- Speech to text devices convert spoken word into written text.

Resource: https://assistedtechnology.weebly.com/assistive-technology-for-deafhard-of-hearing-children-erin-turner.html#:~:text=FM%20System%2D%20FM%20systems%20send,%2C%20or%20a%20headset%2F%20earbuds.

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Tips for Teachers of Students with Hearing Loss

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Tips for Teachers of Students with Hearing Loss

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Keep background noise to a minimum

Enunciate your words – Speak naturally without exaggerated lip movements; be clear and easy to understand

Address the child by name

Project your voice when far away

Preference seating- Encourage students with hearing loss to sit at the front of the classroom to allow for better hearing and an unobstructed view of you and the board.

Avoid- Facing the board when teaching, chewing gum when speaking to students, and singling out DHH students

Resource: https://assistedtechnology.weebly.com/assistive-technology-for-deafhard-of-hearing-children-erin-turner.html#:~:text=FM%20System%2D%20FM%20systems%20send,%2C%20or%20a%20headset%2F%20earbuds.

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A student with an emotional disturbance has the inability to learn in school which cannot be explained by other factors, as well as the inability to build or maintain good relationships at school. These students display difficulties with behavior or feelings, and may be generally unhappy or sad.

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Learning Difficulties caused by emotional disability:

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Learning Difficulties caused by emotional disability:

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Academically performing below grade level.

May function two or more years below grade level in reading, math, writing, and spelling.

May lack social skills that are necessary for school success.

May display language problems in both expressing ideas and in understanding what others are communicating.

Are at risk for dropping out of school, affecting their future.

May have average, or even above-average academic achievement.

Resource: https://do2learn.com/disabilities/CharacteristicsAndStrategies/EmotionalDisturbance_Characteristics.html#:~:text=A%20student%20with%20an%20emotional,be%20generally%20unhappy%20or%20sad.

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The effect of Emotional Disability on Socialization and Behavior

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The effect of Emotional Disability on Socialization and Behavior

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Difficulty interacting socially with others due to excessive fear or anxiety

May withdraw from others and appear isolated

May exhibit symptoms of depression

May avoid interactions with peers or adults

May not interact appropriately with peers, teachers, siblings, and parents

May have few or no friends

May affiliate with deviant social groups

May blame behavioral or social problems on teachers or other students

May be aggressive with peers and adults and cause injury when playing or interacting with others.

Resource:
https://do2learn.com/disabilities/CharacteristicsAndStrategies/EmotionalDisturbance_Characteristics.html#:~:text=A%20student%20with%20an%20emotional,be%20generally%20unhappy%20or%20sad.

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Poor vision can affect learning by lowering reading comprehension skills. Our eyes must work together effectively to move across a page, make sense of letters, and understand what is written. Children with a vision-related learning problem will typically lose their place while reading and confuse similar looking words because they can’t properly see the text. Because of this, children with poor vision often show signs of poor reading comprehension and may struggle to keep up with class assignments.
Resource: https://evansandpiggotteyecare.com/four-ways-poor-vision-can-affect-learning-children/#:~:text=Children%20with%20a%20vision%2Drelated,keep%20up%20with%20class%20assignments.

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Over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or 1 in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss.

Resource: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss

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Overview

Over 5% of the world's population - or 430 million people - require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people - or 1 in every 10 people - will have disabling hearing loss.

'Disabling' hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear. Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.

Hearing loss and deafness

A person who is not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing - hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears - is said to have hearing loss. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can affect one ear or both ears and leads to difficulty in hearing conversational speech or loud sounds.

'Hard of hearing' refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices as well as captioning.

'Deaf' people mostly have profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing. They often use sign language for communication.

Causes of hearing loss and deafness

Although these factors can be encountered at different periods across the life span, individuals are most susceptible to their effects during critical periods in life.

Prenatal period

genetic factors including hereditary and non-hereditary hearing loss

intrauterine infections - such as rubella and cytomegalovirus infection.

Perinatal period

birth asphyxia (a lack of oxygen at the time of birth

hyperbilirubinemia (severe jaundice in the neonatal period)

low-birth weight

other perinatal morbidities and their management.

Childhood and adolescence

chronic ear infections (chronic suppurative otitis media)

collection of fluid in the ear (chronic nonsuppurativeotitis media)

meningitis and other infections.

Adulthood and older age

chronic diseases

smoking

otosclerosis

age-related sensorineural degeneration

sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Factors across the life span

cerumen impaction (impacted ear wax)

trauma to the ear or head

loud noise/loud sounds

ototoxic medicines

work related ototoxic chemicals

nutritional deficiencies

viral infections and other ear conditions

delayed onset or progressive genetic hearing loss.

The impact of unaddressed hearing loss

When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at individual level:

communication and speech

cognition

education and employment: In developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate. Among those who are employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce.

social isolation, loneliness and stigma

impact on society and economy

effects on years lived with disability (YDLs) and disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs (excluding the cost of hearing devices), costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs. Of these costs, 57% are attributed to low- and middle-income countries.

Prevention

Many of the causes that lead to hearing loss can be avoided through public health strategies and clinical interventions implemented across the life course.

Prevention of hearing loss is essential throughout the life course, from prenatal and perinatal periods to older age. In children, nearly 60% of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures. Likewise, most common causes of hearing loss in adults, such as exposure to loud sounds and ototoxic medicines, are preventable.

Effective strategies for reducing hearing loss at different stages of the life course include:

immunization;

good maternal and childcare practices;

genetic counselling;

identification and management of common ear conditions;

occupational hearing conservation programmes for noise and chemical exposure;

safe listening strategies for the reduction of exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings; and

rational use of medicines to prevent ototoxic hearing loss.

Identification and management

Early identification of hearing loss and ear diseases is key to effective management.

This requires systematic screening for detection of hearing loss and related ear diseases in those who are most at risk. This includes:

newborn babies and infants

pre-school and school-age children

people exposed to noise or chemicals at work

people receiving ototoxic medicines

older adults.

Hearing assessment and ear examination can be conducted in clinical and community settings. Tools such as the WHO "hearWHO" app and other technology-based solutions make it possible to screen for ear diseases and hearing loss with limited training and resources.

Once hearing loss is identified, it is essential that it is addressed as early as possible and in an appropriate manner, to mitigate any adverse impact.

Measures available to rehabilitate people with hearing loss include:

the use of hearing technologies, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and middle ear implants;

the use of sign language and other means of sensory substitution,such as speech reading, use of print on palm or Tadoma, signed communication; and

rehabilitative therapy to enhance perceptive skills and develop communication and linguistic abilities.

The use of hearing assistive technology, and services such as frequency modulation and loop systems, alerting devices, telecommunication devices,captioning services and sign language interpretation, can further improve access to communication and education for people with hearing loss.

WHO response

WHO's work on ear and hearing care is to promote integrated people-centred ear and hearing care (IPC-EHHC).

WHO's work is guided by the recommendations of the WHO World report on hearing (2021) and the World Health Assembly resolution on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.

WHO's work includes:

guiding, assisting and supporting Member States to increase awareness on EHC issues;

facilitating data generation and dissemination of ear and hearing care related data and information;

providing technical resources and guidance to facilitate planning and health systems capacity building for ear and hearing care;

supporting heath workforce training in ear and hearing care;

promoting safe listening to reduce the risk of recreational noise-induced hearing loss through the WHO Make Listening Safe initiative;

observing and promoting World Hearing Day as an annual advocacy event;

building partnerships to develop strong hearing care programmes, including initiatives for affordable hearing aids, cochlear implants and services; and

advocating for ear and hearing care through the World Hearing Forum.

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Deafness and hearing loss fact sheet from WHO: providing key facts and information on causes, impact, prevention, identification, management and WHO response.

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Assistive Technology to Help Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities Succeed Academically

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Assistive Technology to Help Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities Succeed Academically

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Text-to-Speech Software

A text-to-speech software such as that found within the Microsoft programs could be an ideal solution. Students can sit back and listen while the computer or tablet reads to them, preventing them from trying to engage too many brain systems at one time.

Reminder Devices

A reminder device such as a vibrating watch might be a good way to get students' attention back. This quietly prompts them to refocus on the task at hand without teacher intervention. As a result, they can feel significantly more independent when teachers have fewer reasons to chastise them.

Voice Recognition Software

Many computers or tablets have voice recognition software built into their platform. If a student struggles with the physical act of writing or translating their thoughts onto paper, teachers may need to consider allowing them to use this software. This gives them an opportunity to say what they would like to put on paper while the computer handles the rest. This can avoid the frustration that comes from a lack of fine motor skills or the inability to concentrate.

Talk Light

Noise sensitivity can be a big issue among students with behavioral disabilities. The overstimulation from their environment can become a major trigger for their behavior problems. Teachers should be mindful of the volume inside their classroom at all time. Assistive technology can help you to monitor it with the Talk Light. This provides educators with a tangible way to realize when volumes are reaching unacceptable levels for sensitive students.

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Assistive Technology to Help Students with Behavioral Disabilities Succeed Academically

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Spread the loveBehavioral disabilities can be challenging for educators because there seem to be very few aids available. The struggling students can be very disruptive to the classroom experience, making it hard for others to learn. As edtech begins to play a more prominent role in our school districts, teachers may want to consider that assistive technology could help.

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Tips for Teaching Blind or Visually Impaired Students

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Tips for Teaching Blind or Visually Impaired Students

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1. Always use names

2. It’s OK to use words that reference sight

3. Don’t gesture, always verbalize

4. Avoid asking if a student can see something

5. Correct seating is crucial

6. Contrast, contrast, contrast!

7. Follow the leader

8. Be a confident sighted guide

9.  Safety first

10. Examine your own beliefs

Resource: https://www.weareteachers.com/teaching-blind-students-visually-impaired/

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The average classroom is designed for fully sighted students. But according to the CDC, nearly 3 percent of children under the age of 18 are blind or visually impaired. Some of these children attend schools specifically for teaching blind students, but others enroll in their local public or private schools. As a teacher, you may wonder how to accommodate these students to give them the best chance to succeed. That's why we've asked some experts to offer practical tips you can use every day.

What does it mean to be blind or visually impaired?

When you hear the term "blind," you likely think of someone who has no vision at all. But that's just one part of the visual spectrum. Here are some other terms you should know.

Partially sighted: A person who is partially sighted has some vision in one or both eyes. This term is frequently used in educational settings.

Low vision: This term describes a person with poor vision that cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contacts. In some cases, the person can see things up close but not at a distance, or vice versa. Others have poor visual acuity across the entire spectrum.

Legally blind: A legally blind person has vision that cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in at least one eye. It also refers to those who have a field of sight of 20 degrees or less.

Totally blind: One who is blind has total loss of sight.

Students may fall anywhere along this spectrum, so it's important to know more about their specific level of impairment. They may have an IEP or 504 on file, so study it carefully to learn what you can do to help them do well in your classroom.

Source: USA Today

A Note About Language

The debate continues about "person-first" vs. "identify-first" language, and the correct terms to use to describe those who are differently abled. Some organizations and people prefer the terms "blind person" or "visually impaired person." Others encourage the use of "person who is blind" or "person with visual impairment." In this article, we've used both forms, since you're likely to encounter them both in the real world. We recommend asking affected students in your classroom if they have a preference, and follow their lead.

Meet the Experts

Charlene Laferrera, MEd, is a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). She's spent 30+ years working in various school systems, including the Perkins School for the Blind, with students ranging in age from birth to 22 years of age.

Magali Gueths, MEd, has been a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) for 20+ years, working in various locations and school districts. Magali has a fully blind son, so she innately understands the needs of blind and visually impaired students.

10 Practical Tips for Teaching Blind or Visually Impaired Students

Source: Perkins School for the Blind

Charlene and Magali assembled this list of tips for teachers who work with students who are blind or visually impaired. Overall, they stressed the importance of ensuring these students always have access to COMS or certified TVIs in their schools. They also offer these day-to-day actions for helping blind or visually impaired students succeed.

1. Always use names

Always use a visually impaired student's first name when addressing them. This way they will know you are talking to them and not someone else. When passing them in hallways, instead of saying, "Hi," have people announce their names, as blind or visually impaired students may not be able to recognize faces. For example: "Hi Sara, it's Mrs. Murphy. How are you today?" Prompt fellow students to do the same because this fosters connection in the school community.

2. It's OK to use words that reference sight

Don't avoid words like "see" and "look." Just like their sighted peers, these words should be part of a blind or visually impaired student's vocabulary to connote how they see, whether by touch, bringing things close, or in normal conversation, like saying "see you later!"

3. Don't gesture, always verbalize

When writing on the board, always verbalize what you are writing so the student has access to that information and can follow along. Use positional and directional concepts like above/under, on top, behind/in front of, left/right, etc., and use descriptive sentences like "The ball is next to the door" instead of "The ball is over there." Avoid words and phrases like "here," "there," "over here," "over there," and gestures that provide direction, e.g., pointing to a location without verbalizing what is being pointed to because visually impaired students cannot see that.

4. Avoid asking if a student can see something

Don't ask a student, "Can you see this?" They often can see it, but that does not mean that they can access it or read it. Instead ask, "Can you find X?" or "Can you identify all the words and numbers without guessing?" or "Can you see some parts of the board better than others?"

5. Correct seating is crucial

Always favor the stronger side of the student's vision due to visual field deficits. For example, if the student only uses his left eye, they would need to sit on the right side of the classroom away from the windows. Seating facing a light source (sun, windows) should ideally be at their back.

6. Contrast, contrast, contrast!

When teaching visually impaired or blind students, use contrast for everything. Think, "bold, big, and simple!" Use bright balls in contrast with the floor at the gym. Stairs should have at least the first and last steps taped with a contrasting color (typically yellow) at the edge of the step.

7. Follow the leader

When in line, direct their attention to the child in front of them using color of clothing or hair and have them model/follow what that child is doing (stopping, walking straight, turning, etc.), always moving slowly for safety.

8. Be a confident sighted guide

If you need to be a sighted guide for a preschooler, offer two fingers or your wrist for them to hold. You are not holding them unless it is for their safety. For older students, they hold just above your elbow with their dominant hand.

9. Safety first

Students need to understand the "rules of the road" and always use the right-hand side of hallways or the right railing. Use boundaries like cones in the gym, lines on the pavement to follow from school to the playground, etc. If there are changes to the classroom, walk the student through alone so they know where things are.

10. Examine your own beliefs

Be aware of your own acceptance and your beliefs surrounding what a student who is blind or visually impaired can do both in your classroom and as a professional. Your acceptance of a student who has a visual impairment will serve as an example to all the students in your class.

What practical tips do you have to offer those who are teaching visually impaired or blind students? Come share your thoughts and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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10 Tips for Teaching Blind or Visually Impaired Students

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When teaching visually impaired or blind students, these simple suggestions from experts in the field can make a world of difference.

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Useful assistive Technology for visually impaired students

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Useful assistive Technology for visually impaired students

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Speech Programs

For students who are visually impaired, speech synthesizers and screen readers may be beneficial. These speech software programs display text and read aloud to the student, highlighting each sentence to improve visual tracking as well.
Communicators
Many types of communicators tailor to students’ unique needs. When choosing a communication device for your learner, consider their needs and how they will interact with the device. As an example, if your student has motor restrictions, they will benefit from communicators with larger switches. Or, if your learner regularly navigates the school building, they may prefer wearable communication devices so they can communicate on the go.
Timers
For students who are visually impaired, choose a timer that displays the remaining time in a vibrant color so they, too, can easily decipher how much time is left.

Resource:
https://enablingdevices.com/blog/assistive-technology-in-the-classroom/#:~:text=Speech%2Dto%2Dtext%20software%20and,benefit%20from%20communicators%2C%20as%20well.

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What does it mean if someone has deaf-blindness?

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What does it mean if someone has deaf-blindness?

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A person who has deaf-blindness has a greater or lesser extent of hearing and vision loss. This results in difficulties accessing information.

Persons with deaf-blindness use different communication methods. Persons with deaf-blindness may be accompanied by an intervenor, a professional who is trained in tactile sign language. This sign language involves touching the hands of the client using a two-handed, manual alphabet, also known as finger spelling.

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Suggested tips on teaching a person with deaf-blindness

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Suggested tips on teaching a person with deaf-blindness

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Teaching Students with Deaf-Blindness - Accessible Campus

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There are many teaching strategies you can use to ensure effective and productive learning environments and experiences for all students, including those with disabilities. Accessible Education[i] is the process of designing courses and developing a teaching style to meet the needs of people who have a variety of backgrounds, abilities and learning styles. Just as […]

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Definition: Other Health Impaired (OHI) means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment due to a chronic or acute health problem, including but not limited to asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, leukemia, kidney disease, sickle cell anemia or Tourette syndrome.

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A child with Multiple Disabilities shall have two or more areas of significant impairment, one of which shall be an intellectual disability. The other areas of impairment include: Orthopedic Impairment, Visual Impairment including Blindness, Hearing Impairment including Deafness, Speech or Language Impairment, Serious Emotional Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Other Health Impaired. The combination of such impairments creates a unique condition that is evidenced through a multiplicity of severe educational needs which prevent the child from receiving reasonable educational benefit from general education.

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Supporting learners with Dyslexia in ELT classroom

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Supporting learners with Dyslexia in ELT classroom

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I have added a few screenshots from the book with some strategies - I found the book useful in cases when EAL meets dyslexia, as often it is hard to distinguish whether a child is dyslexic or EAL. I think many strategies in the book will be helpful for both dyslexia and EAL.

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ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.

Signs and Symptoms

It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.

A child with ADHD might:

daydream a lot

forget or lose things a lot

squirm or fidget

talk too much

make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks

have a hard time resisting temptation

have trouble taking turns

have difficulty getting along with others

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.

Signs and Symptoms

It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.

A child with ADHD might:

daydream a lot

forget or lose things a lot

squirm or fidget

talk too much

make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks

have a hard time resisting temptation

have trouble taking turns

have difficulty getting along with others

Learn more about signs and symptoms
Types

There are three different ways ADHD presents itself, depending on which types of symptoms are strongest in the individual:

Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.

Combined Presentation: Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.

Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well.

Causes of ADHD

Scientists are studying cause(s) and risk factors in an effort to find better ways to manage and reduce the chances of a person having ADHD. The cause(s) and risk factors for ADHD are unknown, but current research shows that genetics plays an important role. Recent studies link genetic factors with ADHD.

In addition to genetics, scientists are studying other possible causes and risk factors including:

Brain injury

Exposure to environmental risks (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age

Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy

Premature delivery

Low birth weight

Research does not support the popularly held views that ADHD is caused by eating too much sugar, watching too much television, parenting, or social and environmental factors such as poverty or family chaos. Of course, many things, including these, might make symptoms worse, especially in certain people. But the evidence is not strong enough to conclude that they are the main causes of ADHD.

Diagnosis

Deciding if a child has ADHD is a process with several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms. One step of the process involves having a medical exam, including hearing and vision tests, to rule out other problems with symptoms like ADHD. Diagnosing ADHD usually includes a checklist for rating ADHD symptoms and taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes, the child.
Learn more about the criteria for diagnosing ADHD
Treatments

In most cases, ADHD is best treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For preschool-aged children (4-5 years of age) with ADHD, behavior therapy, particularly training for parents, is recommended as the first line of treatment before medication is tried. What works best can depend on the child and family. Good treatment plans will include close monitoring, follow-ups, and making changes, if needed, along the way.
Learn more about treatments
Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy

Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with ADHD. In addition to behavioral therapy and medication, having a healthy lifestyle can make it easier for your child to deal with ADHD symptoms. Here are some healthy behaviors that may help:

Get Help!

If you or your doctor has concerns about ADHD, you can take your child to a specialist such as a child psychologist, child psychiatrist, or developmental pediatrician, or you can contact your local early intervention agency (for children under 3) or public school (for children 3 and older).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds the National Resource Center on ADHD, a program of CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Their website has links to information for people with ADHD and their families. The National Resource Center operates a call center (1-866-200-8098) with trained staff to answer questions about ADHD.

For more information on services for children with special needs, visit the Center for Parent Information and Resources. To find the Parent Center near you, you can visit this website.

ADHD in Adults

ADHD can last into adulthood. Some adults have ADHD but have never been diagnosed. The symptoms can cause difficulty at work, at home, or with relationships. Symptoms may look different at older ages, for example, hyperactivity may appear as extreme restlessness. Symptoms can become more severe when the demands of adulthood increase. For more information about diagnosis and treatment throughout the lifespan, please visit the websites of the National Resource Center on ADHD and the National Institutes of Mental Health.

More Information

Reference

Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., . . . Wang, Y. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022

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ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), and in some cases, are overly active.

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ADHD teaching strategies that benefit all students

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ADHD teaching strategies that benefit all students

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I was an educator for nearly 15 years before I realized that I gravely misunderstood the needs of a large portion of my students. It wasn't until I learned that my own son has ADHD - and began reading research, participating in webinars, and networking with professionals and other parents of kids with ADHD - that I realized that I wasn't the only teacher who lacked foundation knowledge of the condition, its symptoms, and effective strategies.

I have since found that, whether diagnosed or just showing ADHD-like traits, atypical students can benefit from some simple classroom additions and teaching strategies. These learning strategies do not require formal documentation, and they will likely help all types of learners!

1. Focus on short-term goals.

When teaching children with ADHD, keep in mind that long-term goals are often overwhelming. Waiting until the report card to come home each 10 or 12 weeks is a daunting prospect for a child who needs frequent accolades and affirmations. Such a long wait time typically makes the child grow frustrated and lose interest or give up on their goals. Children with ADHD benefit from short-term learning goals. Some can focus only on completing assigned tasks one day at a time. Others may benefit from a half-day goal that breaks up their day with more than one sense of accomplishment and feeling of success.

Goals should also be visible - spelled out in a goal chart upon which the student, parent, and teacher all agree. The goal chart should include a specific, targeted goal, the time frame for the goal, and an acknowledgement of goal completion. While the intent is to support students with attention difficulties, the teacher can implement a goal chart for the whole class. For example, "This morning, all students will complete their assignments following teacher-given instructions."

Setting student-specific or class short-term goals can be customizable. For example, if students' hyperactivity worsens and becomes distracting in the afternoon, the goal may be: "This afternoon, all students will utilize classroom resources to expend energy appropriately." In this case, the class reward may be a few minutes of free time at the end of the day. The key is to focus on short-term goals, make them visible and known, and follow through with acknowledgement of success in meeting the goal.
[Free Resource: Your Free Guide to Solving Disorganization at School]
2. Rewards work.

The ADHD brain reacts more positively to rewards than does the neurotypical brain. In the classroom, rewards are often used sparingly because teachers feel they need to instill a sense of intrinsic motivation, and that their students should feel a sense of pride when they have worked hard. They are right, but this only applies to most of the population - not all. This mindset leaves behind approximately 10% or more of their students whose brains are wired differently.

Students with ADHD often exert additional mental and emotional energy to comply with classroom learning and behavioral expectations. In the process, they are unable to focus on the implicit goals that the teacher has set. However, their brains are hardwired to focus on rewards, and teachers can use this to help the student meet some of the in-class expectations.

Setting goals alone will not motivate students with ADHD in the long run, but celebrating their successes with simple rewards will make a positive difference. Rewards can include stickers, high fives, class cheers, borrowing a special book, reading to the class, a specific compliment, or a special helper job. When teachers focus on the needs for rewards for their students with ADHD, they will see positive improvements in their classroom.

3. Play music.

Music promotes focus in the ADHD brain. Why? The ADHD brain doesn't struggle to attend to stimuli; it struggles to prioritize stimuli and attend only to the important ones. When music is played, the ADHD brain has a rhythmic pattern to following, which allows for clearer focus on the critical work at hand. Music has patterns that provide a reliable and predictable structure, creating a dependable support for the ADHD mind. When a child with ADHD is asked to complete a classroom assignment, his brain is bombarded with hundreds of other thoughts, noises, and distractors. He is focusing on all of those at once, causing him difficulty in completing the assignment. When music is played, however, the same student with ADHD is able to focus most of the chaos in their mind on the rhythm and pattern of the music. This allows the other distractors to diminish, so that the student can focus on their task.
[Free Guide: Music for Healthy ADHD Brains]
4. Teach students about the brain.

Knowledge about the brain should be included in human anatomy and basic science courses. Now, students learn that the brain thinks and controls the rest of the body, but there is so much more to learn! It is empowering for all students, especially those with ADHD, to know which parts of the brain are responsible for which functions. For example, when a child with ADHD is having a strong emotional reaction to a situation, they should be aware that their amygdala is highly reactive at that moment, and they should know strategies like deep breathing to help regulate its response. Yes, teaching a child to breathe deeply when upset is a great strategy, but empowering them to know why is even more beneficial. This applies to all ages. When a child with ADHD knows about his brain, he can better advocate for himself when he may be struggling.

5. Allow them time to calm down.

Children with ADHD might display impulsive behaviors within the classroom, such as hitting another student, that must be addressed. While these situations look behavioral, what's happening is actually a neurological response to what is occurring inside the ADHD brain. Teachers have traditionally responded to impulsive behaviors with consequences, which includes a teacher-to-child dialogue of some sort. These methods are not always helpful for a child with ADHD.

When a child with ADHD becomes emotionally dysregulated, their brain is flooded with emotions and cannot process the conversation they are expected to have about an incident. Beginning a dialogue with them in this moment would be counterproductive, more than likely making the situation worse. Not only would it further frustrate the child, but it would add to their feelings of inadequacy, as they once again are unable to meet an expectation. It is much more beneficial to redirect the behavior quickly and calmly in the moment, but save the conversation for a later time. Give the child at least 15 minutes to utilize some calming strategies, to focus on something else as a mental break from whatever caused overstimulation, and to prepare to discuss the incident.

6. Include mindfulness activities.

No one has ever calmed down because someone told them, "Hey, calm down." In fact, it can make someone who is upset even more angry and frustrated. Similarly, telling someone to "just focus," doesn't suddenly help someone concentrate. Instead, empowering all students, especially those with ADHD, to use mindful meditation will greatly improve their autonomy to control their emotions and their focus. There are many great mindfulness apps and programs out there for classroom use, but simply including a time for teacher-directed mindfulness will greatly improve mental self-regulation in the classroom.

Teaching a classroom of 25 unique minds can be challenging, but my teaching strategies can add a wealth of benefit to students of all learning types, especially those with ADHD.
[Free Resource: Mindfulness Techniques for Stronger School Focus]

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"My ADHD Teaching Strategies That Benefit All Students."

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After my son's diagnosis, I made it my mission to learn everything I could about ADHD. In the process of helping my son, I totally revolutionized the way I teach my own students - both the neurotypical and the atypical ones.

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According to the American Art Therapy Association, "Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art-making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem, and self-awareness, and achieve insight."

There is no single way to provide art therapy; as a result, it can look very different when practiced by and with different individuals. It can be free-flowing or structured, open-ended or goal-oriented. For autistic children and adults, it can be a wonderful way to open doors to self-expression and engagement.

Why Use Art Therapy to Treat Autism?

One of the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a difficulty with verbal and social communication. In some cases, autistic people are nonverbal and don't use speech to communicate at all. In other cases, autistic people have a hard time processing language and turning it into smooth, easy conversation.

Autistic people may also have a tough time reading faces and body language. As a result, they may have difficulty with telling a joke from a statement or sarcasm from sincerity.

All too often, it's assumed that a nonverbal person or a person with limited verbal capabilities lacks competency in other areas. As a result, autistic people may not be exposed to opportunities to use artistic media. Or, their opportunities are limited by the context, such as a large class setting.

Art therapy offers an opportunity for therapists to work one-on-one with autistic individuals, to build a wide range of skills in a manner which may be more comfortable (and thus more effective) than spoken language.

How Art Therapy Is Different From Art Classes

Art therapy is a tool for helping clients to access their emotions. By contrast, art classes are intended to provide students with instruction on how to achieve specific artistic effects or goals. While art classes may be appropriate for autistic individuals, they are not a substitute for art therapy.

What Art Therapists Do for Autistic People

There's limited research on the impact of art therapy in autistic people. The literature consists mainly of case studies and papers describing the observed impact of art therapy programs. Some of the papers written and presented on the subject, however, suggest that art therapy can do a great deal.

In some cases, it has opened up a whole world of opportunity to an autistic individual who has significant artistic talent. In other cases, it has created a unique opportunity for personal bonding. Other possible outcomes include:​

Improved ability to imagine and think symbolically

Improved ability to recognize and respond to facial expressions

Improved ability to manage sensory issues (problems with stickiness, etc.)

Improved fine motor skills

How to Find and Select an Art Therapist

Qualified art therapists hold a masters degree and are certified by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. Not all qualified art therapists, however, have specific experience working with autistic people. Many specialize in working, for example, with trauma victims, or individuals with mental illness.

To find an art therapist, start with the Art Therapy Credentials Board's online therapist locator. When you've located a local therapist, call to find out what experience that individual has had with autism spectrum disorders.

While extensive experience may not be critical, it is very important that the therapist you choose understands the specific issues, challenges, and strengths associated with autism. It's important to note that art therapy is not just for young children, or even for children in general. Its usefulness has been established for people of all ages, including adults.

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Learn How Art Therapy Can Be a Great Asset for Your Autistic Child

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Find out how art therapy is a solidly established treatment for many disorders, especially for people on the autism spectrum.

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Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder, not a mental illness in the traditional sense. Though listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)-a handbook used by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental health conditions-autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder.

This question often comes up because people with autism are at a greater risk for developing mental health problems, and characteristics of autism overlap with certain mental illnesses. As a result, autism is often not only incorrectly believed to be a mental illness, but misdiagnosed as one.

While there can be, and often are, people who have autism and a mental health concern, developmental disorders and mental illnesses are defined, treated, and managed very differently.

Developmental Disability vs. Mental Illness

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a developmental disability is "a severe, long-term disability that can affect cognitive ability, physical functioning, or both. These disabilities appear before age 22 and are likely to be lifelong. The term 'developmental disability' encompasses intellectual disability but also includes physical disabilities."

Any mental illness, according to the NIMH, is "a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. A mental illness can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment."

Serious mental illness, according to the NIMH, is "defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities."

Developmental Condition

Present at birth or before age 18

Symptoms are persistent, day in and day out

May cause physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral challenges

Core symptoms cannot be cured or effectively treated with medication

Will effect someone for life

Are typically diagnosed by a psychologist or developmental pediatrician

Serious Mental Illness

May arise at any point in one's life

Symptoms may be temporary or cyclical

Cause disturbances in thinking and perception

May cause hallucinations and delusions

May be effectively treated with medication

Diagnosed by a psychiatrist or other mental health professional

Other Conditions

To further understand the difference between these, it may help to know issues other than autism that are characterized as developmental disorders, as well as some defined as mental illnesses.

Other developmental disorders include:

Other mental illnesses include:

Common Misdiagnoses

Autism is not always a child's first diagnosis, particularly if they are verbal and of average intelligence. Not infrequently, children who wind up with an autism diagnosis receive a range of other diagnoses first including, in some cases, mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

There is a simple reason for these misdiagnoses: A child who is bright and verbal may not be evaluated for autism. As a result, the child's symptoms are viewed not as a set of related challenges, but as individual issues that could potentially be signs of another mental illness.

There are a number of behaviors in autism and other mental illnesses that may share characteristics and lead to an erroneous diagnosis.

Anxiety-Related Behaviors

Children with autism may perseverate on particular routines, objects, or phrases. This behavior is usually a tool for self-calming in autism.

However, the behavior can also seem nearly identical to the anxiety-related behaviors that are a hallmark of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Deficits in Social Communication

Children with autism may hyper-focus on their areas of particular interest, essentially ignoring the interests and concerns of others. In autism, this behavior is the result of deficits in social communication. In essence, children with autism may be unaware that others have thoughts and feelings different from their own.

This could be another potential area of misdiagnoses, however, since the behavior itself can very much resemble some of the self-obsession that may be present in narcissistic personality disorder.

Losing Control of Emotions

Children with autism often lose control of their emotions and experience meltdowns (emotional and sometimes violent temper tantrums). In autism, meltdowns are almost always the result of either sensory assaults, anxiety, frustration, or a combination of all three.

In a child who has not been diagnosed with autism, however, the symptoms may look like oppositional defiant disorder which is considered a behavioral disorder.

Children with higher-functioning autism may also receive a range of inappropriate diagnoses before receiving their autism diagnosis. Some of the most common include ADHD, hyperlexia, learning disabilities, and speech delays.

It's important to note that some children with very high-functioning autism may not be diagnosed until they are well into their teens or even adulthood. When that happens, it can be tricky. Developmental disabilities usually appear in childhood, and it may be necessary to dig into an individual's past to unearth signs that disabilities existed prior to adulthood.

If childhood information isn't readily available, it may be impossible to provide an autism spectrum diagnosis even if it is the most appropriate diagnosis based on symptoms and behavior.

Common Conditions Among People With Autism

Though autism may be mistaken for (and misdiagnosed as) a mental illness, it is important to note that it is common for people with autism to also have one. In fact, mental illness is more common among people with autism than it is among the general population.

The most common co-occurring mental illnesses for people with autism include depression and anxiety.

It's not completely clear why this may be the case. One theory suggests that there is a genetic link between autism and mental illness. Another theory points to the challenges of living in the modern world faced by people with autism. The fact is that for many people with autism, it is anxiety-provoking and depressing to attempt to overcome social, sensory, and/or intellectual challenges that are simply part of who they are.

In addition to mental illness, many children and adults with autism receive additional developmental diagnoses. While it can be argued in many cases that the symptoms are associated with autism, it is sometimes helpful to know that a child is both autistic and, for example, diagnosable with ADHD, learning disabilities, hyperlexia, Savant Syndrome, or another disorder.

A secondary diagnosis, while it may or may not be completely appropriate, can sometimes provide direction for therapy, academic support, and services. Hopefully, in doing so, this could correct any potential misdiagnoses moving forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is autism a disability or a disorder?

Technically, it's both. Autism is a developmental disorder that is also classified by both the medical and legal communities as a disability. Autism is classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Having autism may also qualify you for Social Security benefits.

Are you mentally disabled if you have autism?

Autism is a developmental condition that may or may not co-occur with intellectual deficits, or issues related to the ability to learn and function. Even when both are present, not everyone considers themselves "disabled."

Additional Reading

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Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder, not a mental illness in the traditional sense. Though listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)-a handbook used by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental health conditions-autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder.

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What you need to know about developmental delays

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What you need to know about developmental delays

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What Do You Need To Know About Developmental Delays?

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Vision and hearing are the primary senses through which education occurs for most children. When these senses are absent, distorted, or diminished, educators and families must use alternative strategies to support learning.

These strategies include tactile modeling, mutual tactile attention, and the use of a hand-under-hand approach to interactions.

Most children with deaf-blindness have residual hearing and vision. To enhance learning, tactile learning strategies are paired with approaches that incorporate the other senses (e.g., smell, taste, proprioception).

See also:

Hand-Under-Hand Interactions

Importance of the Hands and Touch

Maximizing the Use of Hearing and Vision

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Most children with deaf-blindness have residual hearing and vision. To enhance learning, tactile learning strategies are paired with approaches that incorporate the other senses (e.g., smell, taste, proprioception).

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Kids using tablets in class

1. Use captions
All students benefit from captions and especially those who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, plus those with English as a second language. To cater for these students it is important to use only captioned multimedia such as TV, online video and DVDs. Captions provide vital access to multimedia content. Media Access Australia'sCAP THAT! initiative was created to focus on the importance and use of captions in the classroom, and still provides relevant advice and downloadable resources.

2. Make use of available technology
Many classrooms are now equipped with technologies such as interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and soundfield amplification systems. If you have access to these technologies or anything similar, ensure that you've been briefed on how to best use them to complement your teaching. A simple Google search will confirm just how much choice is out there.

3. Use visual stimulus
Students who have a hearing impairment require visual cues/ support in their learning to assist their understanding of content. And of course, so do children who have English as a second language. Teachers can use visual stimuli such as providing lesson outlines, main points and any directions on IWB or display boards to help these students.

4. Consider classroom arrangement
There are always variables as to where a student who has a hearing impairment should sit in the classroom. Ensure that these students are in a position where your face (and ideally the faces of other students if they are participating in class discussion) are clearly visible, and where the sound of your voice is least obstructed.

5. Keep unnecessary noise to a minimum
Students who have a hearing impairment find it very difficult to concentrate when there is background noise. Blocking out some or all of this noise through closing doors or windows can be a simple and effective measure. Remember that even if your student or students use assistive hearing technology, they do not hear in the same way that their peers do. They will benefit from having unnecessary background noise to a minimum.

Top of page

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Five tips for teachers of students with hearing impairment

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Kids using tablets in class Use captions All students benefit from captions and especially those who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, plus those with English as a second language. To cater for these students it is important to use only captioned multimedia such as TV, online video and DVDs.

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Recognizing anxiety and depression symptoms in children

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Recognizing anxiety and depression symptoms in children

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Many children have fears and worries, and may feel sad and hopeless from time to time. Strong fears may appear at different times during development. For example, toddlers are often very distressed about being away from their parents, even if they are safe and cared for. Although some fears and worries are typical in children, persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness could be due to anxiety or depression. Learn about anxiety and depression in children.

Facts

Anxiety and depression affect many children

9.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 5.8 million) had diagnosed anxiety in 2016-2019.

4.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 2.7 million) have diagnosed depression in 2016-2019.

Anxiety and depression have increased over time

"Ever having been diagnosed with either anxiety or depression" among children aged 6-17 years increased from 5.4% in 2003 to 8% in 2007 and to 8.4% in 2011-2012.

"Ever having been diagnosed with anxiety" among children aged 6-17 years increased from 5.5% in 2007 to 6.4% in 2011-2012.

"Ever having been diagnosed with depression" among children aged 6-17 years did not change between 2007 (4.7%) and 2011-2012 (4.9%).

Learn more facts about children's mental health
Anxiety

When children do not outgrow the fears and worries that are typical in young children, or when there are so many fears and worries that they interfere with school, home, or play activities, the child may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Examples of different types of anxiety disorders include

Being very afraid when away from parents (separation anxiety)

Having extreme fear about a specific thing or situation, such as dogs, insects, or going to the doctor (phobias)

Being very afraid of school and other places where there are people (social anxiety)

Being very worried about the future and about bad things happening (general anxiety)

Having repeated episodes of sudden, unexpected, intense fear that come with symptoms like heart pounding, having trouble breathing, or feeling dizzy, shaky, or sweaty (panic disorder)

Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make children irritable and angry. Anxiety symptoms can also include trouble sleeping, as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves and, thus, the symptoms can be missed.

Depression

Occasionally being sad or feeling hopeless is a part of every child's life. However, some children feel sad or uninterested in things that they used to enjoy, or feel helpless or hopeless in situations they are able to change. When children feel persistent sadness and hopelessness, they may be diagnosed with depression.

Examples of behaviors often seen in children with depression include

Feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable a lot of the time

Not wanting to do, or enjoy doing, fun things

Showing changes in eating patterns - eating a lot more or a lot less than usual

Showing changes in sleep patterns - sleeping a lot more or a lot less than normal

Showing changes in energy - being tired and sluggish or tense and restless a lot of the time

Having a hard time paying attention

Feeling worthless, useless, or guilty

Showing self-injury and self-destructive behavior

Extreme depression can lead a child to think about suicide or plan for suicide. For youth ages 10-24 years, suicide is among the leading causes of death. Read about youth suicide prevention

Some children may not talk about their helpless and hopeless thoughts, and may not appear sad. Depression might also cause a child to make trouble or act unmotivated, causing others not to notice that the child is depressed, or to incorrectly label the child as a trouble-maker or lazy.

Treatment for Anxiety and Depression

The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider, such as your child's primary care provider or a mental health specialist, about getting an evaluation. Some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression in children could be caused by other conditions, such as trauma. A mental health professional can develop a therapy plan that works best for the child and family. Behavior therapy includes child therapy, family therapy, or a combination of both. For very young children, involving parents in treatment is key; the school can also be included in the treatment plan. Consultation with a healthcare provider can help determine if medication should be part of the treatment.

If you need help finding treatment, visit MentalHealth.gov.

Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy

Being healthy is important for all children, and can be especially important for children with depression or anxiety. In addition to getting the right treatment, leading a healthy lifestyle can play a role in managing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Here are some healthy behaviors that may help:

Having a healthy eating plan centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds

Participating in physical activity each day based on age

Getting the recommended amount of sleep each night based on age

Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques

References

1. Bitsko RH, Claussen AH, Lichtstein J, Black LJ, Everett Jones S, Danielson MD, Hoenig JM, Davis Jack SP, Brody DJ, Gyawali S, Maenner MM, Warner M, Holland KM, Perou R, Crosby AE, Blumberg SJ, Avenevoli S, Kaminski JW, Ghandour RM. Surveillance of Children's Mental Health - United States, 2013 - 2019 MMWR, 2022 / 71(Suppl-2);1-42. [Read article]

2. Bitsko RH, Holbrook JR, Ghandour RM, Blumberg SJ, Visser SN, Perou R, Walkup J. Epidemiology and impact of healthcare provider-diagnosed anxiety and depression among U.S. children. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 2018;39:395-403. [Read article]

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Anxiety and depression in children: Get the facts | CDC

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Information about Children's Mental Health. Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Myths and facts about intellectual disabilities 

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Myths and facts about intellectual disabilities 

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Facts and Myths about Intellectual Disabilities

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Strategies for Assessing and Teaching Students with Visual and Multiple Disabilities

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Ortopedic imparement definition, strategies and assistive technology

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Ortopedic imparement definition, strategies and assistive technology

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Definition

Orthopedic impairment is defined as a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

Prevalence

The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special education services in the 2003-2004 school year. Of that number, roughly 1.1%, or 68,188 students, received special education services based on a classification of orthopedic impairments.

Characteristics

The IDEA category of orthopedic impairments contains a wide variety of disorders. These can be divided into three main areas: neuromotor impairments, degenerative diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders. The specific characteristics of an individual who has an orthopedic impairment will depend on both the specific disease and its severity, as well as additional individual factors.

A neuromotor impairment is an abnormality of, or damage to, the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system that sends impulses to the muscles of the body. These impairments are acquired at or before birth, and often result in complex motor problems that can affect several body systems. These motor problems can include limited limb movement, loss of urinary control, and loss of proper alignment of the spine. The two most common types of neuromotor impairments are cerebral palsy and spina bifida.

Cerebral palsy refers to several nonprogressive disorders of voluntary movement or posture that are caused by malfunction of or damage to the developing brain that occurs before or during birth or within the first few years of life. Individuals with cerebral palsy have abnormal, involuntary, and/or uncoordinated motor movements. The four most common types of cerebral palsy include:

Spastic (very tight muscles occurring in one or more muscle groups that result in stiff, uncoordinated movements)

Athetoid (movements are contorted, abnormal, and purposeless)

Ataxic (poor balance and equilibrium in addition to uncoordinated voluntary movement)

Mixed (any combination of the types)

Cerebral palsy is also classified by which limbs (arms and legs) are affected. Major classifications include hemiplegia (left or right side), diplegia (legs affected more than arms); paraplegia (only legs), and quadriplegia (all four limbs).

Spina bifida is a developmental defect of the spinal column. Spina bifida is characterized by an abnormal opening in the spinal column and frequently involves some paralysis of various portions of the body. It may or may not affect intellectual functioning. Spina bifida is usually classified as either spina bifida occulta or spina bifida cystica. Spina bifida occulta is a mild condition while spina bifida cystica is more serious.

Degenerative diseases are composed of various diseases that affect motor development. The most common degenerative disease found in the school population is muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness from degeneration of muscle fibers.

Musculoskeletal disorders are composed of various conditions that can result in various levels of physical limitations. Two examples of musculoskeletal disorders include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and limb deficiency.

Impact on Learning

The specific impact on learning of an individual is contingent upon the disease, its severity, and individual factors. Two individuals with identical diagnoses may be quite different in terms of their capabilities.

Many students with orthopedic impairments have no cognitive, learning, perceptual, language, or sensory issues. However, individuals with neuromotor impairments have a higher incidence of additional impairments, especially when there has been brain involvement. For most students with orthopedic impairments, the impact on learning is focused on accommodations necessary for students to have access to academic instruction.

Teaching Strategies

As with most students with disabilities, the classroom accommodations for students with orthopedic impairments will vary dependent on the individual needs of the student. Since many students with orthopedic impairments have no cognitive impairments, the general educator and special educator should collaborate to include the student in the general curriculum as much as possible.

In order for the student to access the general curriculum, the student may require these accommodations:

Special seating arrangements to develop useful posture and movements

Instruction focused on development of gross and fine motor skills

Securing suitable augmentative communication and other assistive devices

Awareness of medical condition and its affect on the student (such as getting tired quickly)

Because of the multi-faceted nature of orthopedic impairments, other specialists may be involved in developing and implementing an appropriate educational program for the student. These specialists can include:

Physical Therapists who work on gross motor skills (focusing on the legs, back, neck and torso)

Occupational Therapists who work on fine motor skills (focusing on the arms and hands as well as daily living activities such as dressing and bathing)

Speech-Language Pathologists who work with the student on problems with speech and language

Adapted Physical Education Teachers, who are specially trained PE teachers who work along with the OT and PT to develop an exercise program to help students with disabilities

Other Therapists (Massage Therapists, Music Therapists, etc.)

Assistive Technology

Due to the various levels of severity of orthopedic impairment, multiple types of assistive technology may be used. As with any student with a disability, the assistive technology would need to address a need of the student to be able to access the educational curriculum. For students with orthopedic impairments, these fall into three categories:

Devices to Access Information: These assistive technology devices focus on aiding the student to access the educational material. These devices include:

speech recognition software

screen reading software

augmentative and alternative communication devices (such as communication boards)

academic software packages for students with disabilities

Devices for Positioning and Mobility: These assistive technology devices focus on helping the student participate in educational activities. These devices include:

canes

walkers

crutches

wheelchairs

specialized exercise equipment

specialized chairs, desks, and tables for proper posture development

Organizations

United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc.

1660 L Street NW, Suite 700
Washington DC 20036

Web: www.ucp.org

United Cerebral Palsy of Texas

The national organization and its nationwide network of affiliates strive to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society-from the Web to the workplace, from the classroom to the community. As one of the largest health charities in America, the mission of United Cerebral Palsy is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network.

1016 La Posada, Suite 145
Austin, TX 78752

Email: info@ucptexas.org
Web: www.ucptexas.org

Center for Disability and Development

Dept. of Educational Psychology
4225 Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4225

Easter Seals--National Office

Easter Seals offers help, hope and answers to more than a million children and adults living with autism and other disabilities or special needs and their families each year. Services and support are provided through a network of more than 550 sites in the U.S. Each center provides exceptional services that are individualized, innovative, family-focused and tailored to meet specific needs of the particular community served.

230 West Monroe Street, Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60606-4802

Web: www.easter-seals.org

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation

The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. They carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birthweight.

1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605

Phone: 914-428-7100; 888-663-4637
Email: askus@marchofdimes.com
Web: www.marchofdimes.com

National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)

The core mission of the Center is to collect and disseminate the results of research funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). NARIC staff members have been dedicated to providing direct, personal, and high-quality information services to anyone throughout the country.

4200 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 202
Lanham, MD 20706

Email: naricinfo@heitechservices.com
Web: www.naric.com

Spina Bifida Association of America

The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) serves adults and children who live with the challenges of Spina Bifida. Since 1973, SBA has been the only national voluntary health agency solely dedicated to enhancing the lives of those with Spina Bifida and those whose lives are touched by this challenging birth defect. Its tools are education, advocacy, research, and service.

4590 MacArthur Boulevard, N.W., Suite 250
Washington, DC 20007

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

The mission of NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological disease - a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world. NINDS conducts, fosters, coordinates, and guides research; operates research projects, program projects, and research center grants; and collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders.

National Institutes of Health
National Institue of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda, MD 20824

Web: www.ninds.nih.gov

References

Gargiulo, R.M. (2006). Special education in contemporary society: An introduction to exceptionality. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R. & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2007). Exceptional lives: Special education in today's schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

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Orthopedic impairment is defined as a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

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Other Health Impairment  - The IDEA's Special Education Categories

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Tourette's syndrome is a condition that affects the nervous system. This is why the most common and recognizable symptom of Tourette's syndrome is "tics." But, all this means is that Tourette's syndrome is a condition in which the nervous system spasms in a particular way.

You can think of these tics as having hiccups (just indefinitely). While you may not want to hiccup, your body does it involuntarily. The same is true for individuals with Tourette's syndrome. Tics are not caused by anxiety, stress, or behavioral issues. They cannot be stopped willingly, they are involuntary, and while some individuals may be able to delay a tic for an amount of time with a lot of effort, eventually, the tic will happen.

It is important to note that Tourette's syndrome is not the only type of tic disorder, but it is the most severe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 in 50 children between the ages of 5-14 have some type of persistent tic disorder.

Symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome

The main symptom of Tourette's syndrome is tics. A tic is a sudden, brief, and repetitive movement or sound. These tics usually start at a young age, between five and seven, and peak just before the teen years. Tics can also worsen when the individual is stressed or excited and tend to improve when they are calm or focused on an activity. Tics can also evolve, disappear, or reappear over time.

Additionally, there are four different ways to classify tics. First, there are simple and complex tics. Then, those ticks can be motor or verbal tics. We will define simple and complex tics and offer examples of motor and verbal tics below.
Simple Tics
Simple tics involve only one muscle group. For example, the muscles in the shoulder or around the nose, mouth, or eyes.
Complex Tics
Unlike simple tics, complex tics involve several muscle groups. An example of this could be a tic that requires the movement of both your shoulder and a part of your face - such as shoulder shrugging and nose or mouth movements.
Motor Tics
Motor tics can be both simple and complex. In addition, individuals may express more than one tic, varying in severity and frequency.

Some examples of simple motor tics are:

Blinking

Eye darting

Nose twitching

Shoulder shrugging

Head jerking

Mouth movements

Arm jerking

Some examples of complex motor tics are:

Combined movements - such as mouth movements plus shoulder shrugging

Touching or smelling objects

Bending or twisting

Jumping

Stepping in certain patterns

Repeating movements

Verbal Tics
Verbal tics may also be referred to as phonic tics. Again, these tics can be either simple or complex and vary in frequency and severity.

Some examples of simple verbal tics are:

Some examples of complex verbal tics are:

Repeating their own words or phrases

Echolalia - repeating others' words or phrases

Coprolalia - using obscene or swear words

Causes of Tourette's Syndrome

While the condition does run in families, the exact cause for Tourette's syndrome is unknown. Many healthcare professionals also believe that neurotransmitter problems may contribute to Tourette's syndrome, but more research is needed to confirm anything.

Risk Factors

Even though there is no known cause for Tourette's syndrome, some risk factors may increase someone's chance of having the disorder.

These are:

Family history - as mentioned above, parents may pass down certain genes that can cause Tourette's syndrome.

Gender - males are more likely to develop Tourette's syndrome than females. Males are three to four times more likely to exhibit tics than females.

Prenatal health - mothers who had health complications or smoked during pregnancy may increase their children's risk of Tourette's syndrome.

As you may notice, none of these risk factors are controllable for the child. In fact, the only one that is controllable in any way is a child's prenatal health. But, even this one is not necessarily controllable as health complications can come up without warning.

What Tourette's Syndrome Looks Like in Kids

Tics are often worst in children as they have either just begun or not yet settled. This means that your child may exhibit a lot of different tics throughout the day or exhibit the same types of tics frequently throughout the day. It is important to note that tics can evolve over time, and some can be harmful.

Remember, tics are not a choice. They are involuntary movements that your child cannot control.

How to Interact with Someone with Tourette's Syndrome

To better interact with and build connections with children who have Tourette's Syndrome, follow these simple guidelines:

Do not scold them for having tics. They do not want to tic on purpose, and they cannot stop it voluntarily.

Do not ask them to stop having tics. They cannot stop, which will only make them feel more self-conscious or stressed, making them tic more frequently.

Ignore the tics and just interact with them like you would other children.

Explain to them what Tourette's syndrome is and how it affects them. Help them understand what their body is doing. This can help them to feel less confused and anxious about their tics.

Help them avoid feeling ashamed of their tics. You can explain it to them like hiccups; this is something that many children will understand and identify with.

Teach them relaxation techniques. When people with Tourette's syndrome are calm or focused, their tics can become less severe or frequent. This can be especially helpful for individuals who may have tics that can be harmful to themselves or others as it can help to lower the frequency or intensity of their tics.

Conclusion
If your child has just begun exhibiting tics or you are a teacher who has children who have tics in your classroom, this information can help you to ensure that you are not adding to the anxiety they may already feel about their tics. This can help them to focus on other areas of their life and, in the long run, help them to gain better control over their tics by allowing them to relax and be calmer.
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Tourette's Syndrome: What Is It and What It Means for Kids

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Tourette's syndrome is a condition that affects the nervous system. This is why the most common and recognizable symptom of Tourette's syndrome is "tics." But, all this means is that Tourette's syndrome is a condition in which the nervous system spasms in a particular way.

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As teachers we know that good communication is vital for successful learning, so it is not surprising that this is a worry for English language teachers across the world. Communication skills help children to understand and explain the world around them, share their ideas and feelings and make friends. Good language skills enable a child to reason and learn. They also help to develop a sense of self and the feeling of belonging to a group or community.

If we discover that there is a learner with speech and language difficulties in our class we might wonder how to help them to get the most from our lessons. By understanding the different kinds of speech and language impairment and knowing some useful teaching strategies we can really make a difference to these learners and help them to experience enjoyable and successful learning.
What is speech and language impairment?
Speech and language impairment varies from person to person and can range from mild to severe. A learner may have difficulty with speaking, 'expressive language' or understanding, 'receptive language'. They may have problems expressing feelings and interacting with others. This can cause low self-esteem and frustration, and may lead to behaviour problems in the class. As speech and language problems are not always obvious, we have to think about what lies behind the behaviour and the need the learner may be trying to express.

Most children with speech or language impairment are of average intelligence, but may have other specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD. Speech and language impairment is sometimes linked with conditions such as hearing loss, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or autism. Chronic ear infections may also be a cause. Some learners have difficulty with both language input and output and need to be taught the communication skills that other learners learn automatically.
Expressive language difficulties
Some learners have problems with the muscular movements needed to form words. They may have trouble producing certain sounds and simply leave them out, or substitute one sound for another. This can make them difficult to understand and result in delayed or unclear speech.

Expressive language difficulties can also affect the ability to put words in the right order in a sentence and tell stories with the events in the right sequence. Their speech can be jumbled up and hard to understand. Sometimes the learner will use inappropriate grammatical structures and their speech may sound immature for their age. They may also have trouble with learning and accessing vocabulary. These problems occur in their own language and will also appear when learning English. Having trouble explaining and describing things makes it hard to join in class discussions.
Receptive language difficulties
Some learners have problems with the way they hear and process language. This can impact on the ability to understand what others are saying and respond appropriately. Learners with hearing impairment have a physical barrier to understanding speech, but there are can also be 'pragmatic language' difficulties where, although the learner can hear what is being said, they do not understand the meaning. They may not know how to use social language and lack an intuitive understanding of social cues and conventions. There can also be problems understanding 'figurative language', which includes the use of irony, humour and metaphor. This can lead to a tendency to take things too literally. A learner with receptive language difficulties may have trouble in one or more of these areas.

Following instructions

Understanding abstract concepts

Concentration

Understanding stories, both written and spoken

Understanding metaphorical language

Making friends

Listening to others

Teaching and learning strategies - how can we help? 1. Encourage and accept all forms of communication
Learners with speech and language difficulties are often lacking in confidence and shy about speaking in public, so avoid asking them to repeat mispronounced words or finish their sentences for them. It is better to model the correct form in your response. Concentrate on the message the learner is trying to communicate rather than the grammar. Allow alternative ways of communicating like gestures, writing or drawing.
2. Be conscious of your own communication style
Make sure your language is clear and direct and face the class so that learners can see your expressions and read your lips if necessary. Give instructions one at a time in the order you want them to be carried out, using visual cues and gestures to support them. If you say the learner's name before asking them a question they will know you want their attention. Try to avoid ambiguous language and always be prepared to repeat anything the learner does not understand.
3. Teach active listening skills
Explain to the whole class that it is important to be attentive and look at someone when they are talking to you, and not to interrupt. You can teach turn-taking by having a special object which is the 'speaker's token'. The holder of the object is the only person who may speak. When they have finished they pass it on.
4. Give time to think and respond to questions
All learners can benefit from this. Using the 'think, pair, share' model in class provides the time needed to process information and organize thoughts before having to answer.
5. Use sound discrimination exercises
We know that phonemes are the building blocks for language. You can help learners who have difficulty recognising and decoding phonemes through multisensory activities like clapping and stomping out syllables in new vocabulary or colour-coding the different groups of phonemes. Rhyming bingo and card games where the learner can match the same sounds can be really helpful.
6. Help with sequencing and word order
If the learner has difficulty explaining things or telling stories in the right order, just ask them to give bullet points of what they want to say and put them in the correct sequence on a timeline. It is also helpful to cut up stories so they can practice putting them in order - you can use pictures for younger learners.
7. Build vocabulary
Use pictures, objects and photos to help understand and remember new vocabulary. Encourage learners to use their visual memory by making a personal vocabulary box of key words on picture cards.
8. Help build self-esteem
Make sure to notice and praise good interactions and speech. Describe what they do well and identify and work with their other strengths, such as creativity and physical talents.
9. Help learners to make their needs known
Always check that the learner has understood the task and clarify any misunderstandings. Encourage them to let you know if they have not understood by using a pre-arranged signal.

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As teachers we know that good communication is vital for successful learning, so it is not surprising that this is a worry for English language teachers across the world. Communication skills help children to understand and explain the world around them, share their ideas and feelings and make friends.

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Classroom Tools for Visually Impaired Students

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Assistive Technology for Children with Hearing Impairment in the Classroom

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Assistive Technology for Children with Hearing Impairment in the Classroom

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Teletypewriter (TTY)

Telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)

Voice to text software programs

CART  Communication Real-Time Translation

（Resource：https://www.cchatsacramento.org/blog-and-events/assistive-technology-for-children-with-hearing-impairment-in-classroom）

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Most mainstream schools aren't designed to accommodate the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is not uncommon for students with audiological challenges to be redirected to specialty programs in the area.

At CCHAT, we know from experience such children can thrive in mainstream programs along with their hearing peers. In fact, our entire curriculum is dedicated to this singular goal.

However, when a school is unfamiliar with hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices, educators often have difficulty anticipating their students' needs - both academically and socially.

If this sounds familiar, we may be able to provide some guidance.

CCHAT specializes in helping mainstream schools overcome the above challenges. Our educational audiologists and deaf and hard of hearing teachers can train your faculty to more effectively address the unique needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition, we also offer a range of audiological and mainstream support services for parents, educators, and administrators who work with students from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Classroom Learning for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices can help with hearing loss, but these technologies cannot completely replicate the fidelity and clarity of normal hearing.

However, there are a number of solutions which can increase a student's comprehension and engagement in the classroom.

Personal FM systems are a perfect example. With this approach, teachers can use wireless microphones throughout their lessons. An audio signal is sent via FM radio waves directly to whatever assistive hearing devices the students are wearing.

Portable, lightweight, and non-disruptive, this solution allows children who are deaf and hard of hearing to participate more fully in classroom learning.

Another popular approach is to utilize Soundfield systems within classroom settings. These can be wall mounted or standalone speakers which can be shared among several children simultaneously. The downside, however, is these systems are less portable than their personal FM counterparts.

Captioning can also be very effective for lessons involving audio or video (A/V). This technology is similar to the "closed captioning" typically used in TV shows, and under federal law, schools are required to provide captioned A/V content on request.

Embracing the Full Spectrum of Assistive Devices in the Classroom

The above examples are just scratching the surface. There now exists any number of non-invasive assistive hearing technologies that teachers can use throughout their curricula.

Other notable examples include:

Teletypewriter (TTY)

Telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)

Voice to text software programs

CART Communication Real-Time Translation

And although no single approach is best for all situations, our trained audiologists can help schools design the ideal complement of assistive hearing technologies to help meet the unique needs of students, faculty, and parents.

To learn more about using assistive devices for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, schedule a schedule a consultation with us today.

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Assistive Technology for Children with Hearing Impairment in the Classroom | CCHAT Sacramento

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Most mainstream schools aren't designed to accommodate the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is not uncommon for students with audiological challenges to be redirected to specialty programs in the area. At CCHAT, we know from experience such children can thrive in mainstream programs along with their hearing peers.

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Assistive Technology For Students With Intellectual Disabilities

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Assistive Technology For Students With Intellectual Disabilities

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Tools of common use such as hearing aids,

Pens with special grip,

Alternative computer peripherals like keyboards and mouse

speech-to-text recognition tools

spell and grammar checkers

touch control devices

AT visualizers

Advanced computer-enabled communication tools

Graphic Organizers

（Resource：https://numberdyslexia.com/assistive-technology-for-students-with-intellectual-disabilities/）

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Last Updated on February 4, 2022 by Editorial Team

Intellectual disabilities grapple about 8% of the US population, according to an NCBI finding. Lack of intellectual curiosity, or of power to question or reason or take interest in exploring is a big elephant that needs addressing. Usually, people are judged on the basis of their academic performance, communication skills, etc. It cuts off a major chunk of creative and highly imaginative individuals who may have a different set of skills other than those set as benchmarks.

Thanks to the inclusive model of education that accommodations are made available to students with intellectual disabilities. Using these resources, such students can also learn and absorb things like their peers! This significant change is attributed to assistive technology for students with intellectual disabilities.
Let's explore in this post:

Examples of assistive technology in the classroom to accommodate intellectual disabilities

How assistive technology helps intellectually deficient students

Types of assistive technology and their applications

Challenges of implementing assistive technology

Here we go!
An institute that offers accommodations earns the requisite recognition from authorities when its classrooms are equipped enough to help students with intellectual deficiencies. These technology-assisted classrooms are designed with tools to help intellectually disabled students with diverse learning needs. The tools help them to demonstrate their abilities and be as responsive in class as their non-disabled classmates. In a typical classroom provided with assistive technology, you can expect featureslike:

Tools of common use such as hearing aids,

Pens with special grip,

Alternative computer peripherals like keyboards and mouse

speech-to-text recognition tools

spell and grammar checkers

touch control devices

AT visualizers

Advanced computer-enabled communication tools

Graphic Organizers

The idea behind using these AT accommodations is to make the classroom environment suitably comfortable for students with diverse learning needs. These assistive technology devices help work the way around disabilities and provide the learners with fair chances to be at par with their peers. It is observed that the students managing intellectual disabilities suffer from a lack of cognition, social skills, and have various learning difficulties to overcome.

How assistive technology helps intellectually deficient students?

The need to ease the learning process with assistive tools got the right solution in technological interventions. Artificial intelligence and predictive modeling techniques have paved the way for the introduction of AT devices for intellectually deficient students. It is the encouraging outcomes that have ignited the interest of the educational authorities towards the use of AT devices and solutions.

McNicholl, et al, in their study concluded that ATs can increase social participation and extract better engagement from intellectually challenged students. Motivation to read and write can be strengthened by the use of assistive technology in education.

Socially assistive robots and their roles are explained by Dr. Christine, in the review of AT for training individuals with ASDs. The review concludes that SARs prove their efficacy in building social skills like eye contact maintenance, imitation skill, and other verbal communication abilities. Hence, the overall participation of intellectually disabled students increases and improves in quality.

The role of assistive technology is not operational in nature alone. Since the students find comfortable solutions that complement their needs perfectly, they open up more freely and display better confidence in solving problems and expressing knowledge. When their basic problems of organizing thoughts, doing numbers, or expressing ideas are solved, they can concentrate on applying their real talent and deliver desired outcomes, sometimes even better than those considered 'non-disabled'.

In essence, the role of ATs is to act as a link that is normally missing between the students with intellectual deficits and their environs. The improvement in cognition and communicability allow such students to actively participate, communicate and receive information correctly, which is quite necessary for knowledge build-up.

Types of assistive technology for IDs and their applications

Assistive technology is a supplementary solution to be given to the person with disabilities of any kind to fill the gap caused by those. These can be classified as:

Cognition aids: These are employed to assist people lacking in memory retention, attention, and thinking skills. Time management tools, graphic organizers, activity planners and reminders are the popular examples of cognition aids.

Educational aids: Screen readers, voice recognition programs, text-to-speech software, graphic organizers, proof-reading software, etc. to provide ease of reading and writing for students with sensory and intellectual deficits.

Communication aids: Audio books, communication cards, etc. help enable communication in augmentative manner, and sometimes, as an alternative to speech too.

Math tools: Certain speech recognition software are designed to allow students to do calculations over microphone and display results to the evaluator.

All the AT devices mentioned above serve the needs of students having different kinds of intellectual disabilities. Since the focus is always on encouraging participation in education and making the subjects feel and act as non-disabled peers, their use should be recommended after a thorough analysis of the requirement of the individual. One size does not fit all when it comes to assistive technology devices, remember that!

Challenges of implementing assistive technology

Assistive technology implementation and adoption rate is low at present. Especially in low and middle-income groups, finances pose a challenge. The students may get support in the classroom, but what about practicing at home? This gap is quite glaring and the search for solutions for the same is still on. A need for national policy to provide assistive technology solutions has been felt for uniform implementation.

Training need for using AT devices is another detriment to seamless adoption. The personnel at work and the teachers at school have to be adequately familiar with the product and its use to not get distracted from the assistive solutions they wear or wield.

Integration with the usual work environment has to be smooth. Assistive technology is supposed to be an enabler of the learning process. Hence, the make and the application have to match the comfort level of the user. Thus, the product development thorough customization and eventually, further improvement, needs continuous evaluation and refining.

Take Away

It is society's loss if the hidden talents of people with intellectual disabilities are not recognized, refined, and put to use. To get a better workforce from the given population, the educational needs of all sorts of learners should be met. Assistive technology helps decrease the chances of dropouts and offers requisite help to people with different learning abilities to accomplish their academic endeavors, and also, to live a life of reduced dependence on others. For intellectual deficiencies, assistive technology comes as a workable solution and helps find the way around these. The only concerns may be the want for adequate training in the use of ATs and the cost involved!
References:
[1] Sarah Ko & Linda S. Petty (2020) Assistive technology accommodations for post-secondary students with mental health disabilities: a scoping review, Disability, and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology Journal

[2] Adelman, H. S., & Taylor, L. (1986). Summary of the survey of fundamental concerns confronting the LD field. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 19(7), 391-393.

[3] Aoife McNicholl, Hannah Casey, Deirdre Desmond & Pamela Gallagher (2021) The impact of assistive technology use for students with disabilities in higher education: a systematic review, Disability, and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16:2, 130-143

[4] Effects of assistive technology for students with reading and writing disabilities, Idor Svensson, Et al, Disability Rehabilitation Assistive Technology, 2021 Feb;16(2):196-208.

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Assistive Technology For Students With Intellectual Disabilities - Number Dyslexia

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Intellectual disabilities grapple about 8% of the US population, according to an NCBI finding. Lack of intellectual curiosity, or of power to question or reason or take interest in exploring is a big elephant that needs addressing. Usually, people are judged on the basis of their academic performance, communication skills, etc.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqN21OdsLQ

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1. Unaided communication systems – Rely on the user's body to convey messages. Examples include gestures, body language, and/or sign language. One advantage of unaided communication communication systems is that it does not require any technology beyond the person's body.

2. Low-tech AAC - Any type of aid that does not require batteries or electricity. This includes things like a simple pen and paper to write messages on, as well as pictures boards, that can be carried to aid communication. On picture boards, users can point to images, words, pictures, drawings, or letters in order to communicate their message. The pointing might be done with the user's hands, other body parts, eye gaze, or a pointer held in the hands or mouth.

3. High-tech AAC - Any aid that requires electricity or batters. This includes specialized devices, software, smartphone applications, electronic communication boards, and keyboards. Many high-tech AAC devices are Speech Generating Devices, which means they can produce digitized speech when the user either types a message or presses on images, words, or letters.

Below are just some examples of what AACs can look like
Resource:https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=613892&p=4265891

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Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF)- Delayed Auditory Feedback devices play the user's voice back delayed by a fraction of a second. DAF devices may resemble hearing aids or headphones with a microphone. There are also apps that can use DAF on phone calls.

Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF)- Frequency Altered Feedback devices are similar to DAF but rather than delaying the user hearing their own voice, they change the pitch at which the user hears their own voice.
(Resource: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=613892&p=4265891)