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Tourette's Disorder

Tourette's Disorder is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable verbal or motor tics.
According to IDEA Tourette's disorder is classified under Other Health Impairments.  However, even though it's considered a well documented disorder, a lot of misinformation exists regarding it.  That's why it's important to also focus on Tourette's as a specific disorder as well, even if it's not formally listed.

Incidence Rate
According to a 2014 meta-analysis (Scharf, Miller, Gauvin, Alabiso, Mathews, and Ben‐Shlomo, 2014) Tourette's syndrome incident rate is approximately 0.54%.  This puts it on the lower end when compared to other commonly encountered disabilities.

Definition and Symptoms
Tourette's can be a misunderstood disorder.  Due to depictions in media, many people consider it only to be a disorder where people swear uncontrollably.  This is not the case.  It is important for teacher's to understand what exactly Tourette's is to prevent misunderstanding the students who suffer from it.

According to Bronheim's (1991) published Educator's Guide to Tourette's Syndrome, there are 4 main parts of Tourette's that educator's should be aware of when dealing with students who have Tourette's

One of the ways Tourette's manifest itself is through motor tics, which are characterized by involuntary bodily movements.  These motor tics can vary from frequent blinking to full body movement.  These movements may even be high functioning, such as "smelling objects or repeatedly turning lights on and off" (Bronheim, 1991, pg 5).

Tourette's also manifests itself as vocal tics, which are characterized as the involuntary creation of noises.  These noises can be grunts, clicks, words, or even vulgarities.  When a child's verbal tics are vulgar words, the condition is known as coprolalia, and while rare, is one of the more known examples of Tourette's.

Tourette's symptoms do not always last for long periods of time.  A student with Tourette's may only suffer from motor or verbal tics for short periods of time.  Often, a teacher may not even know a student has Tourette's until the tics become more frequent.  Tourette's symptoms also change over time.  A single student may have differing motor and/or verbal tics each time a Tourette's episode takes place.

One major reason it is important for teacher's to learn about what Tourette's is is due to the "semi" voluntary nature of the verbal or motor tics.  While Tourette's motor tics are considered involuntary, some people are able to control them for short period of time.  For example, when put under pressured, a student who blinks uncontrollably may stop blinking for a few seconds.  This leads some people who misunderstand Tourette's syndrome to think the student is purposefully being disruptive.  However, even though tics can be controlled for shorter periods of time, they usually return in greater quantity once the pressure to stop the tics from happening ends.

Accommodation and Assistive Technologies

According to Bronheim (1991) and Laschou, , Dermanopoulou, Marmangelou, and Papaspyrou, (2015), one of the most effective strategy of assisting a student with Tourette's is to build a classroom of acceptance and awareness around it.  To prevent unneeded stress, teacher's should be open about it's existence in the classroom and should build a healthy atmosphere where other students accept it to be an involuntary action.

Tourette's semi-voluntary nature is frustrating to those who suffer from it.  Without building an atmosphere of tolerance, these frustrations can cause even more disruptions.

During activities where vocal or motor tics causes disruptions, such as class lectures or test time, consider giving a student with Tourette's separate space for themselves.  Many students may feel a strong urge to suppress tics when they feel they are distracting those around them.  However, suppressing them takes a lot of effort, and the student may suffer academically due to their primary focus being on suppressing tics.  It is better to allow a student to have their tics in a less disruptive place rather than encourage them to suppress them.  If a situation occurs where a student really does spend effort suppressing their tics, educator's should help them release it in appropriate places.  Suppressing tics causes a future build-up, and allowing students to release it in a safe area can help as well.

Teachers should also consider using technology to their benefit when teaching student's with tics.  A lot of times, a student with Tourette's will struggle in oral presentations as a lot of attention will be focused on their tics.  Teachers should consider allowing students with Tourette's to record their presentations separately, or simply record them orally if motor tics are the issue.

Laschou et al. (2010) also mention the importance of working with student's families regarding their disorder.  Like all disorders that may appear in classrooms, it's important for teachers to realize they aren't alone and to put in the effort to coordinate and liaison with other invested members of a student's education.  However, one specific thing about Tourette's should be kept under consideration.  Tourette's is considered to be a hereditary neurological disorder (Bronheim, 1991).  As with any hereditary are should be taken when discussing the disorder with parents to avoid causing embarrassment or feelings of shame.

Tourette's may not be directly listed in the IDEA, but it's still important for educators to be aware of it.

References:

Bronheim, S. (1991). An educator's guide to Tourette syndrome. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 24(1), 17-22.

Laschou, S., Dermanopoulou, M., Marmangelou, A., & Papaspyrou, M. (2015). Children with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome at school. American Journal of Nursing, 4(2-1), 37-44.

Scharf, J. M., Miller, L. L., Gauvin, C. A., Alabiso, J., Mathews, C. A., & Ben‐Shlomo, Y. (2015). Population prevalence of Tourette syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Movement disorders, 30(2), 221-228.

White, S. W., Sukhodolsky, D. G., Rains, A. L., Foster, D., McGuire, J. F., & Scahill, L. (2011). Elementary school teachers’ knowledge of tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, & attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: effects of teacher training. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 23(1), 5-14.

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Definition:

IDEA: Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness or intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. Multiple disabilities does not include deaf-blindness.

Source -
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c/7

Incidence Rate:
Low Incidence
(7th - 133,000)

Assistive Technologies:

Low-tech devices -
~adapted equipment (such as utensils, chairs, wheelchairs, etc.)

High-tech devices -
~ electronic communication devices
~ powered wheel chairs
~ environmental controls

Effectiveness -
Studies have shown that Assistive technologies have been very effective in aiding children with multiple disabilities obtain greater access and participation in their school and home lives. However, the effectiveness of these technologies relies upon a coordinated assessment and implementation process.

Barriers -

There are several factors that can restrict the usefulness of many assistive technologies. These include, lack of appropriate staff training and support, negative staff attitudes, inadequate assessment and planning processes, insufficient funding, difficulties procuring and managing equipment, and time constraints.

Source
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/oti.213

Other Accommodations

The most important way to help students with multiple disabilities is to provide a customized and personalized method of instruction for each student.

Factors to consider when customizing -
- Provide students with the time necessary for them to be a part of class
- Know about a student's different assistive technologies, and use them effectively. (integrate them into the lesson for the student)
- One study found response grids useful for helping students respond to questions in class (Wilkens, 2014).

The social development and community development that happens in classrooms are important for students with multiple disabilities to experience. Integrated education is possible for students with multiple disabilities, as long as teaching strategies incorporate a student's assistive technology and educators are aware of and consider the educational and social environment. (Gee, 1995).

References
Gee, K., Graham, N., & Sailor, W. (1995). Use of integrated, general education, and community settings as primary contexts for skill instruction for students with severe, multiple disabilities. Behavior Modification, 19, 33–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455950191003

Wilkens, C. P., Kuntzler, P. M., Cardenas, S., O’Malley, E., Phillips, C., Singer, J., Stoeger, A., & Kindler, K. (2014). Improving Response Rates Among Students with Orthopedic and Multiple Disabilities. Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 15(1), 94–97.

Adam Pierre - April 7th, 2021

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Definition:
IDEA: Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section.

Source -
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c

Incidence Rate:
Low Incidence
(9th - 74,000)

Assistive Technologies:

There are several types of assistive technologies for hearing impaired students.
1. Assistive listening devices (Hearing aids, Hearing Loop systems, Frequency Modulated systems)
2. Augmentative and alternative communication devices (keyboards, touchscreens, etc.)
3. Alerting devices (flashing lights instead of sound notifications, *speech-to-text)
4. Closed captions for videos

Source -
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/assistive-devices-people-hearing-voice-speech-or-language-disorders#2

Other Accommodations:

~ A student that is hearing impaired is already an outsider for being different, thus encouraging them to participate in all classroom activities can encourage improved student interaction.
~ Using lots of visuals, pictures, graphs, and labels can help students better comprehend a topic/activity.
~ Educators should always try to face the class while speaking, this can help hearing impaired students by allowing them to read the educator's lips.
~ Arrange your classroom in a circle, so hearing impaired students can interact with their classmates.
~ Minimize background noises in class.
~ If  a student needs to remove their hearing aids for a lesson, such as PE, assign a hearing buddy to help relay information.
~ Prevent bullying through raising awareness and fostering a sense of community in the classroom.
~ Using Makaton

Makaton is a simplified form of sign language, incorporating symbols and gestures, and is normally used with children with additional needs.
~ Personal Sign Language Interpreter, this can be a great resource for hearing impaired students.

Sources - https://engage-education.com/blog/how-to-support-a-child-with-a-hearing-impairment-in-school/
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/hearing-factsheet.html?WT.ac=ctg#catfactsheet

Adam Pierre - April 7th, 2021

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IDEA: Sec. 303.111 State definition of developmental delay

Definition:

Each system must include the State’s rigorous definition of developmental delay, consistent with §§303.10 and 303.203(c), that will be used by the State in carrying out programs under part C of the Act in order to appropriately identify infants and toddlers with disabilities who are in need of services under part C of the Act. The definition must—

(a) Describe, for each of the areas listed in §303.21(a)(1), the evaluation and assessment procedures, consistent with §303.321, that will be used to measure a child’s development; and

(b) Specify the level of developmental delay in functioning or other comparable criteria that constitute a developmental delay in one or more of the developmental areas identified in §303.21(a)(1).

Sec. 303.111 State definition of developmental delay - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

More specifically:

A developmental disability- Neurology

A disability that affects a person's development, such as, mental retardation, epilepsy, autism, cerebral palsy or similar disability Pediatrics A lag in reaching developmental milestones by the expected age.

Developmental Delay. (n.d.) McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. (2002). Retrieved April 6 2021 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/developmental+delay

Note: given above definition, states must establish there own criterion for determining Developmental Delay in the key areas of development. These are broadly defined as: communication, motor, cognition, socio-emotional, behavioral.

Developmental Delay and Early Intervention (Part C) Under Part C of IDEA each state determines the definition of developmental delay for children under the age of 3 years (IDEA 2004, §632(5)(A)). A child with an existing diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay qualifies for early intervention (IDEA 2004, §632(5)(A)). For example, the state of Alaska and the District of Columbia have defined developmental delay as a 50% delay below the age of the child in one or more of the five areas of development. Other states vary in their definition from 25% delay in one or more of the developmental areas to using set standard deviations from the norm in one or more areas of development. States are able to use this definition with children three to nine years of age, or a portion of this age range if they choose. The delay must be determined by assessing the child using appropriate developmental tests or tools.

Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. Contemporary Practices in Early Intervention: Developmental Delay and IDEA Primer. 2011. Available online at http://www.teachingei.org

Analysis:

These Developmental delays may be undiagnosed and become evident later as Learning Disabilities yet would be able to be traced back to early childhood. Surprisingly, developmental delays account for up to 5-10% of all disabilities and would be more specifically identified as one of the 13 disabilities whereas a delay is more of the cause rather than the actual exhibited disability.

Assistive Technologies (more specific ones based on classified disability):

Low-tech: Pencil grips, Positive deposits chart

Mid-tech: audio player OR soothing background music

Hi-tech: Brain Pop, Mind-maps on Tablets

Troy McAdams- 6 April 2021

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Definitions:

Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that—

1. Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome; and

2. Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c/9

Incidence rate:

High Incidence

(3rd - 1,049,000)

Other health impairment accounted for 15 percent of students served under IDEA for the school year 2018-2019.

IDEA lists a number of different chronic health problems as possible reasons for the other health impairment label, including asthma, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, cardiac conditions, hemophilia, leukemia, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and nephritis. It would be impossible to list all of the possible characteristics under such a large disability category. The primary issue in other health impairments, whatever the condition, the resulting symptoms could adversely impact the student's educational performance. If a child has diabetes, but it is controlled through medication and does not impact learning, special education services are not appropriate for that child.

Students with AD/HD are categorized according to their characteristics into three distinct subtypes: predominantly inattentive AD/HD, predominately hyperactive-impulsive AD/HD, and combined type AD/HD.

Assistive Technology:

There are no specific technological devices that are recommended for students with AD/HD, but there are a number of tools that can be helpful in strengthening and supporting the organizational abilities of these individuals.

Low tech devices such as notebooks and dividers can be utilized to record and organize assigned homework and classroom tasks. For older students, personal digital assistants, dictating machines, and a variety of computer programs can perform the same task.

For most students in the other health impairment category, it is the needs of the individual that drive the designation of appropriate assistive technology. For the most part, the majority of these students can access and benefit from the same technological supports that are used with their normally developing peers.

Other accommodations

Some support can provide a student with an OHI while in the classroom:

Check knowledge through verbal responses.

Modify assignments only as needed.

Arrange the room to accommodate students’ equipment.

Look at alternatives for excessive writing.

Mark or circle correct answers on worksheets rather than filling in blanks.

Break tasks into small parts.

Assist with the organization of materials and lessons.

Reduce homework amount, taking into consideration students’ physical ability to complete it in a timely fashion.

Maintain a communication link with all individuals involved with the student-parent(s), doctors, instructional assistants, therapists, special and general education teachers – to assure appropriate and coordinated instruction.

Make appropriate arrangements to accommodate the student’s schedule with regards to personal needs – catheterization, availability of instructional assistant or nurse, and toileting with dignity, i.e., private and as independent as possible.

Have a clear understanding of the medication needs of the student, type of medication, when it is administered, who administers it, and its effect on the student.

The specific Disabilities Mentioned in IDEA’s Definition of OHI( other health Impairment)

ADD and AH/HD

Diabetes

Epilepsy

Heart conditions

Hemophilia

Lead poisoning

Leukemia

Nephritis

Rheumatic fever

Sickle cell anemia

Tourette syndrome

Other Health Impairments Not Mentioned in IDEA’s Definition
The U.S. Department of Education mentions specific other  disorders or conditions that may, in combination with other factors, qualify a child for services under IDEA–for example:

bipolar disorders,

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

dysphagia, and

other organic neurological disorders.

Addressing Medical Issues

visit the website of the National Center for Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs. You’ll find the site full of information and tools for health care providers and families, including a national medical home training curriculum and links to medical home projects and activities in every state. There are also materials in other languages for addressing health care issues (Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese).

Another resource you may find especially helpful in addressing the health care and medical issues associated with an OHI is Family Voices. Family Voices concerns itself proactively with the health care of children with special health care needs. Through a network of state chapters, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, and political advocacy, Family Voices offers tools and informed guidance to professionals and families alike.

http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/health-impairments/

https://www.nsta.org/other-health-impairments

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/sd-other

https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=2278

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/guidance_determiningeligibility_sped_students_ohi

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What is orthopedic impairment?

Definition:

Orthopedic impairment means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

Low Incidence
(10th - 39,000)

Accommodations

People with orthopedic impairments usually need physical accommodations or assistive technology in school, the workplace, and at home. They have legal rights to this support under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Accommodations for orthopedic impairments vary depending on the student.

Based on experience, we have found that most students with orthopedic impairments do not experience disabilities of a cognitive nature. As a result, the teacher, student and parents must collaborate with regards to the student’s curriculum.

Schools need to meet the following accommodations to cater for students, so that they can meet the general curriculum requirements:

·     Seating arrangements to develop useful posture and movements

·     Instruction that is focused on development of gross and fine motor skills

·     Ensuring suitable augmentative communication and other assistive devices

·     Adequate awareness of the student’s medical condition and its effect on the student

·     Elevators to promote ease of movement

Other accommodations

·     Parking spaces for parents to drop off disabled students

·     Ramps for step free entrances

·     Water fountains low enough for water drinking

·     Ablution facilities

Due to the unique nature of orthopedic impairments, additional specialists might need to become involved in the development and implementation of appropriate educational programming for the student.

There are various specialists that may become involved, such as:

Physical Therapists

Additional Therapists

Occupational Therapists

Speech-Language Pathologists

Adapted Physical Education Teachers

Assistive Technologies

Because there are varying levels of orthopedic impairments, a number of types of assistive technologies might be used. The assistive technologies used need to address the needs of the student so that they are able to access the educational curriculum, as it would be with any other student with a disability. Technologies that may apply specifically to students with orthopedic disabilities may include:

·     Screen reading software

·     Speech recognition software

·     Augmentative and alternative communication devices

·     Academic software packages for students with disabilities

·     Students with orthopedic disabilities may also use devices for both mobility and positioning. The assistive devices they use are focused on assisting them to participate in educational activities.

The devices these students use may include:

·     Canes

·     Crutches

·     Wheelchairs

·     Specialized exercise equipment

·     Specialized chairs, desks or tables

My school

My school has a student that has an orthopedic impairment. His classroom is on the ground floor. Instead of his class moving around, all the teachers go to his class. The homeroom teacher has created a sense of compassion towards his disability, and his classmates are always aware of his needs.

Other accommodations – I would like to practice:

·        Ask the student to let you know when he/she needs assistance. Allow the student to be his/her own advocate

·        Encourage students who use crutches, canes, or walkers to keep them within close distance so they are accessible.

·        If writing is difficult, make accommodations either by allowing additional time or by using a digital audio recorder.

References

·        https://sites.google.com/site/teachingeveryonenow/home/orthopedic-impairment/teaching-strategies-for-orthopedic-impairment

·        https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-orthopedic-impairment-2162506

·        (Source: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c)

·        https://www.nsta.org/motor-impaired-orthopedic-disability

·        https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgg.asp

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Specific Learning Disability (Lauren Prentice)

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Specific Learning Disability (Lauren Prentice)

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Definitions:

IDEA: A specific learning disability (SLD) is defined in sec 300.8 C 10(i) as:

“a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.”

Idea goes on in the sec 300.8 C 10(ii) to state was SLD is not:

“Disorders not included. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.”

Source: U.S Department of Education. (2007). Sec. 300.8 (c). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c

“SLD” is a term which encompasses a range of learning challenges. These are:

1.     Dyslexia: Learning disability with reading. Challenges are reading at a good pace without mistakes, spelling, writing and comprehension.

Source: Team, T. U. (2021, April 1). What is dyslexia? Understood.Org. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

2.     Dysgraphia: Learning disability with writing. Challenges: Spelling, handwriting and typing.

Source: Team, T. U. (2021a, March 26). Dysgraphia: What you need to know. Understood.Org. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/understanding-dysgraphia

3.     Dyscalculia: Learning disability with mathematics. Challenges: key concepts and basic/abstract math problems

Source: Team, T. U. (2021b, March 30). What is dyscalculia? Understood.Org. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/what-is-dyscalculia

4.     Auditory Processing Disorder: Learning disability with processing speech. Challenges: Auditory discrimination: noticing, comparing and distinguishing between separate sounds; Auditory figure -ground discrimination: focusing on the important sounds in a noisy setting; Auditory memory: recalling what you have heard; Auditory sequencing: recalling the order of sounds and words.

Source: Team, T. U. (2021a, February 23). Auditory processing disorder: What you need to know. Understood.Org. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/auditory-processing-disorder/understanding-auditory-processing-disorder

5.     Non - Verbal Learning Disability: Not recognised by IDEA. Social disability rather than a learning disability with language or mathematics. Challenges: abstract thinking, spatial awareness, understanding communication that isn’t verbal: body language, tone of voice, and facial awareness.
Source: Patino, E. (2021, March 25). Understanding nonverbal learning disabilities. Understood.Org. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/nonverbal-learning-disabilities/understanding-nonverbal-learning-disabilities

Source: Lee, A. M. I. (2021b, March 27). The 13 disability categories under IDEA. The 13 Disability Categories under IDEA. https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/conditions-covered-under-idea?_ul=1*1yul0h*domain_userid*YW1wLWc2dWRFNzNheGszaG04UWxJZmVWcHc

Identifying SLDs:

“In determining the existence of a specific learning disability, the following must be present:

1.     Does not achieve at the proper age and ability levels in one or more of several specific areas when provided with appropriate learning experiences and age-appropriate instruction in one or more of the following areas:

A.    oral expression

B.    listening comprehension

C.     written expression

D.    basic reading skill

E.     reading fluency skills

F.     reading comprehension

G.    mathematics calculations

H.    mathematics reasoning”

Source: Project Ideal. (2013). Specific Learning Disabilities. http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/specific-learning-disabilities/

High Incidence disability: 1 st – 2,800,000

“Specific learning disabilities are considered a high-incidence disability. The U.S. Department of Education reports that there are over 2.8 million students being served for specific learning disabilities. This number of students is approximately 47.4% of all children receiving special education services.”

Source: Project Ideal. (2013). Specific Learning Disabilities. http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/specific-learning-disabilities/

Assistive Technologies: Mainly for learners with dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Reading:

§  Text to Speech software

§  OCR software applications

§  Screen Reading software

§  Audio Books

Writing:

§  Portable Word Processors

§  Auditory Word Processing Software

§  Word Prediction Programs

§  Graphical Word Processors

§  On-Screen Keyboards

§  Voice Recognition Software

§  Organizational/Outlining/Drafting Software

§  Online Writing Support

Source: Project Ideal. (2013). Specific Learning Disabilities. http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/specific-learning-disabilities/

According to AUSPELD: “Examples of effective AT options for the student with a learning disability:

The use of multimedia and electronic information allows students with reading disabilities to improve their comprehension of a topic or idea without being dependent on their reading ability;

I suggest this would be suitable for learners with dyslexia.

Computers and word processors can reduce the burden of editing and re-writing assignments, making the writing process faster and allowing students to work more independently;

I suggest this would be suitable for learners with dysgraphia.

A photo taken with any device that has a camera may be used instead of copying information from a whiteboard. This information can be stored digitally and in some cases converted to text;

I suggest this would be suitable for learners with dysgraphia and dyslexia.

An MP3 recorder on any device can record ideas and help overcome short term memory difficulties. “

I suggest this would be suitable for learners with auditory processing disorder.

Source: Adm, C. (n.d.). What are some examples of assistive technology? Parent’s Guide To UDL. Retrieved April 6, 2021, from https://uldforparents.com/contents/use-of-assistive-technology/what-are-some-examples-of-assistive-technology/

Other accommodations and specific teaching strategies:

According to project ideal online:

“Teaching Strategies for Students with Memory Difficulties useful for learners with auditory processing disorder:

§  Teachers may need to teach the following memory strategies to students with learning disabilities:

·       Chunking is the grouping of large strings of information into smaller, more manageable "chunks". Telephone numbers, for example, are "chunked" into small segments for easier recall.

·       Rehearsal is the repetition, either oral or silent, of the information to be remembered.

·       Elaboration is the weaving of the material to be remembered into a meaningful context.

·       Categorization is when the information to be remembered is organized by the category to which it belongs. For example, all the animals in a list could be grouped together for remembering.

Teaching Word-Analysis Skills for learners with dysgraphia and dyslexia:

§  Phonics: Use structured phonics programs that:

·       Teach most common sounds first

·       Stress specific phonics rules and patterns

·       Expose the beginning reader only to words that contain sounds he or she has already learned.

§  Sight words:

·       Require the student to focus on all important aspects of the word (all letters, not just the first and last ones).

·       Have the student discriminate between the new word and frequently confused words. For example, if you are introducing the word "what" as a sight word, make sure the child can read the word when it is presented with words such as "that", "which", and "wait."

§  Context clues:

·       Control the reading level of materials used so that students are presented with few unfamiliar words.

·       For beginning readers, present illustrations after the text selection has been read.

·       Teach students to use context clues as a decoding strategy after they are adept at beginning phonics analysis.

Teaching Reading Comprehension:

§  Predictions can be based on pictures, headings, subtitles, and graphs. They can be used to activate the students' prior knowledge before reading, increase attention to sequencing during reading, and can be evaluated after reading.

§  Questions can be asked before reading to help students attend to important information.

§  Teachers may prepare an advanced organizer on the text to help focus students' attention on key material in the text. The student can review the organizer before reading and take notes on it while reading.

§  Self-monitoring or self evaluation techniques can be used when reading longer passages. For example, students can stop periodically and paraphrase the text or check their understanding.

Teaching Writing:

§  Provide effective writing instruction that includes daily practice on a range of writing tasks, teacher modeling, cooperative learning opportunities, follow-up instruction and feedback, and integrating writing activities across the curriculum.

§  Tailor writing instruction to meet the needs of individual children. Adaptations may include student-specific topics for instruction, one-to-one supplemental instruction, and adapting task requirements.

§  Intervene early on writing assignments.

§  Expect that each child will learn to write. Teacher's expectations, coupled with a supportive and positive classroom, can facilitate the writing performance of students with learning disabilities.

§  Identify and address academic and non-academic stumbling blocks such as behavior or social problems in the classroom.

§  Take advantage of technological tools for writing.

Direct Instruction:

Direct instruction commonly refers to:

1.     The identification and instruction of specific academic skills and

2.     The use of teaching techniques that have been empirically demonstrated to be effective with students with learning disabilities

Direction instruction teaching methods address the organization and presentation of instruction. The approach is very teacher-directed and includes an initial presentation based on the teacher first modelling the skill or response, then providing guided practice (leading), and, finally, eliciting independent student responses (testing).”

Source: Project Ideal. (2013). Specific Learning Disabilities. http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/specific-learning-disabilities/

To see how my school identifies and supports those with SLDs please see my coogle mind map: https://coggle.it/diagram/YGujH7FusW8P4zOA/t/special-education-referral-process-fudan-by-lauren-prentice/d753a93e87ed90720d4cfb811a27850f577f51d59307cbaf3dff214327012fd6

I also recommend this book on differentiation generally. Tomlinson is one of the world experts in differentiation and the way she writes is very practical and easy to implement in the classroom.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2nd ed.). ASCD.

Also if you want to encourage conceptual based learning to allow for learners who have SLDs to build confidence with conceptual based learning I would recommend this book. Again it is very practical and is packed with great ideas.

Stern, J., Lauriault, N., & Ferraro, K. (2017). Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding, Elementary: Harnessing Natural Curiosity for Learning That Transfers (Corwin Teaching Essentials) (1st ed.). Corwin.

# data[].attributes.body
Deaf-blindness - Melissa Capehart
Deafness - Tian-Ai Aldridge
Developmental Delay - Troy McAdams
Emotional disturbance - Brandon Halin
Hearing Impairment - Adam Pierre
Intellectual Disability - Pam Wright
Multiple Disabilities - Adam Pierre
Orthopedic impairment - Deshni Naidoo
Other health impairment - Shan Lai
Other health impairment with a focus on Tourette's - Ryan Osborn
Specific learning disability - Lauren Prentice
Speech or language impairment - Tem Lekklar
Traumatic brain injury - Hayley Brookshire
Visual impairment including blindness - Patrick Slattery
Autism - Timm Sears

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Visual Impairment including blindness (Patrick)

# data[].attributes.subject
Visual Impairment including blindness (Patrick)

# data[].attributes.body
Definitions:
IDEA: an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

From https://arksped.k12.ar.us/
"Visual impairment including blindness" means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. This impairment refers to abnormality of the eyes, the optic nerve or the visual center for the brain resulting in decreased visual acuity. Students with visual impairments are identified as those with a corrected visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye or field restriction of less that 20 degrees at its widest point or identified as cortically visually impaired and functioning at the definition of legal blindness.

Incidence Rate
Low Incidence
(11th/12th - 27,000)

Assistive Technologies

According to Illinois Library, There are two factors to helping students with visual impairments, that being mobility and reading assistance. The assistive technologies are primarily used for helping students transport themselves around the school, and act as a separate pair of eyes. Reading assistance technologies are software/devices that can help those who are blind or visually impaired read printed material or surf the web.

Service Dogs

Service dogs are dogs that are trained to help their owner with a specific disability. For example, dogs can be trained to pick things up,
visually guide those with visual impairments, remind you to take medication, or help those with poor balance.

Service dogs can go to public places with their owners, even places that dogs are not usually allowed to go like airplanes or restaurants.

Canes

Various types of canes, most popularly the long cane, can help individuals who are blind or have low vision navigate with confidence.

Electronic Mobility Aids

Electronic mobility aids are devices that use ultrasonic waves to reflect off of obstacles in front of the individual to tell them what is coming in front of them. The usefulness of these devices is debated and they often need to be used in conjunction with a long cane or a service dog. Some examples include:

Ray Electronic Mobility Aid
This small device can help users detects obstacles up to 9.35 feet away. When an object is detected users get an audio signal.

UltraCane
The UltraCane is a combination of an electronic mobility aid and a long cane. The cane itself emits ultrasonic waves so that the user can detect objects in front of them and at head level.

Reading assistance

JAWS Screen Reader
JAWS stands for Job Access With Speech and is a popular screen reader. JAWS works with Windows operating system and provides text-to-speech and braille output.

Kurzweil Education
This text-to-speech software can help those who are blind or visually impaired use computers and also can read scanned printed material. Kurzweil offers various versions for individuals, schools, and institutions.

Refreshable Braille Displays
This page from the American Foundation for the Blind has a list of refreshable braille displays. These devices processes information on computer displays and electronically raises and lowers different combinations of pins in braille cells. It changes continuously as the user moves the cursor around on the screen.

Other Accommodations

According to teachingthevisuallyimpaired.com, uses of audiotapes, oral testing, and implementations of large print can be used to help accommodate visually impaired students. Students could also be given copies of what is being displayed on the overhead board, as well as the content should be made for the students to be able to see it as easily as possible (large texts, contrasting colors, etc.)

Other examples of accommodation visually impaired students are:

Avoid glare in general from overhead lights. Consider placing light filters on fluorescent lights.

Open and close doors fully (a half-open door can be a dangerous obstacle).

Eliminate unnecessary background noise. Consider isolation headphones.

Eliminate clutter from the room, particularly in aisles and movement paths.

Place materials in consistent places so that students know where particular items are always located.

Preferential locker position and locks with keys vs. combination locks.

Use of task lighting as needed.

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Definitions:

IDEA: A Traumatic Brain Injury is defined as

“…an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psycho-social behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.” [34 Code of Federal Regulations §300.8(c)(12)]"

From Brainline.org, "... brain injury often harms basic cognitive abilities such as memory, learning, attention and concentration, word-finding, and visual perception. Injury can also harm important academic abilities such as reading, arithmetic reasoning, vocabulary, writing, and spelling. Parents and students often worry about falling grades and failure. Concerns about passing the school year, graduating high school, or graduating from college with a degree are often expressed."

Incidence rate:
Low Incidence
(11th/12th - 27,000)

Assistive Technologies:
According to "(2017) Smartphones as assistive technology following traumatic brain injury..." (linked below) this article claims that the researchers have had good results with using smartphones to navigate TBI symptoms such as memory loss, disorganization, and social integration. More options in non-digital technologies include planners, written reminders, and more time given to complete a certain task.

Other Accommodations:
According to brainline.org, there are several accommodations that the classroom can make to help students with TBI succeed. For example:

"Allow additional time to complete in-class assignments

Allow student to audio record lectures for later playback

Provide both oral and written instructions; clarify instructions

Exempt students from reading aloud in front of classmates because of impaired reading skills."

More from brainline.org is some test-taking accommodations:

"Administer long examinations in a series of shorter segments with breaks allowed between sections.

Allow oral examinations and assist students in having responses scribed, as needed.

Assess knowledge using multiple-choice instead of open-ended questions. "

One specific example that I feel would be helpful for a traumatic brain injury would be a Graphic Organizer, either a digital version or a handwritten version. Take this detail as an example from LD@School:

"Graphic Organizers– Graphic organizers benefit individuals who experience difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper as well as visual learners who need to see their ideas mapped out. While graphic organizers completed without technology can help students with learning disabilities to improve the quality of writing (Institute for the Advancement of Research in Education, 2003), electronic versions, such as Inspiration, allow students to arrange their thoughts on the computer screen without worrying about order, level of importance or categories because the text can be easily manipulated. Graphic organizers provide an organizational framework to help writers generate topics and content for writing projects and can assist with the planning and organizational stages of writing, and using concept mapping software can increase the quality and quantity of writing (Sturm & Rankin-Erickson, 2002). Using a web-based graphic organizer with procedural prompts enabled students to produce better organized and higher quality papers, than they could produce with handwritten organizers (Englert, Wu & Zhao, 2005; Englert, Zhao, Dunsmore, Collings, & Woblers, 2007). Being taught a strategy to plan and organize writing can improve the compositions of students with learning disabilities (MacArthur, 2009)."

With the help of graphic organizers, and the accommodations given for test-taking, the TBI learner will be able to visually access information, pull it together in a cohesive way, and avoid memory-based obstacles, to create well-written, organized, and high-quality work.

Of course, these examples are given as suggestions based upon research, but the list can (and should) be built upon and expanded based on each student's personalized needs. A vital part of assisting any student with special needs is the identification of and communication between everyone involved in the student's life (teachers, doctors, counselors, parents, and of course the student themselves) to help the student succeed using all of the resources available at their current educational institution.

Hayley Brookshire

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Definitions:

IDEA: Speech and language impairments is defined as
“a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” Each point within this official definition represents a speech and language subcategory:
1 - “A communication disorder such as stuttering” provides an example of a fluency disorder; other fluency issues include unusual word repetition and hesitant speech.
2- “Impaired articulation” indicates impairments in which a child experiences challenges in pronouncing specific sounds.
3 - “A language impairment” can entail difficulty comprehending words properly, expressing oneself and listening to others.
4 - Finally, “a voice impairment” involves difficulty voicing words; for instance, throat issues may cause an abnormally soft voice.

Source: https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/speech-and-language-impairments

Incidence rate:
High Incidence
(2nd - 1,378,000)

Assistive Technologies

There are two main types of assistive technologies for students with speech & language impairments:
1) computer software packages/apps such as First Words, a language program that has a number of applications for teaching those who are developing or reacquiring language functions.
Other apps include: Articulation Station, Speech Tutor, Splingo (for PreK/ toddlers)

2) Augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). AAC is the use of symbols, aids, strategies, and techniques to enhance the communication process. This includes sign language and various communication boards, both manual and electronic.
Examples of AAC:
-Unaided communication systems – Rely on the user's body to convey messages. Examples include gestures, body language, and/or sign language.

-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.

-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.
Source: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=613892&p=4265891

Other Accommodations

According to Ally Krystal's research on " Teaching Strategies for Students with Developmental Speech Delays in Mainstream Classrooms", general classroom rules geared towards creating an inclusive environment is crucial:

"...it is very important that teachers teach their students the importance of inclusion right from kindergarten so that students with developmental speech delays are made to feel comfortable and accepted in their classes. He [Gelston] says that it is very important for teachers to be accepting of these students and to promote positive attitudes towards these students (Gelston, 2004). He also says that teaching inclusion early in life can help stop negative attitudes from forming towards people with speech impairments later in life (Gelston, 2004).

I strongly agree with Krystal that it's best to introduce students the importance of inclusivity at a young age so that they become accepting of others' differences early on. This also builds up the SED students' self esteem and thus boost his/her motivation to overcome any obstacles the child may face.

Krystal also mentions a case study by Low and Lee (2011) who uses

"strategies such as “turn-taking”, “object-picture matching”, and “imitating vocalization”, just to name a few, in order to promote the speech of these students (Low & Lee, 2011). These strategies help students hear the correct way of saying certain sounds, which is an effective strategy for helping to improve students’ speech skills (Low & Lee, 2011)"

According to Gelston, the following strategies also help students with delayed speech impairment:
1) Encourage students with speech delay to read aloud
2) When students mispronounce words or a sentence while reading, it is important to encourage the students to keep reading.
3) Instead of correcting a student who mispronounces a word while reading, it is more effective to give the students hints of how to say the word correctly
4) Providing synonymous words or guiding students towards pronouncing the words that they are struggling to articulate
5) In order to diminish frustration of students that are struggling to articulate their words, it is important for instructors to repeat or clarify what these students are trying to say so that their peers could still understand their messages.
6) Encourage teachers to promote conversations among the entire class and including the students with speech impairments in the conversations so that they get practice using their speech

I believe that children with speech impairment should be given equal opportunity as their peers, even if it their contribution is small as it positively impacts the their self esteem. They should also be provided the help of a speech-language pathologist, who works with the child one on one,  as according to Gelston, "it is very important for teachers to be in close proximity to these students and to listen closely to these students’ speech so that the teachers can assess the students’ speech as well as clearly hear what they are saying".

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Definition:
IDEA: Intellectual disability is defined as “significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.”

According to Special Education Guide, the disability encompasses two components: a student’s IQ (below 70-75) and "his or her capability to function independently, usually referred to as adaptive behavior."

In 2012, the federal government passed legislation changing the term "mental retardation" to "intellectual disabilities." Despite the new law, some states still refer to the disability as mental retardation [Source: Special Education Guide].

Causes: the causes vary but can be attributed to pregnancy issues, birth complications, genetic conditions (such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome) and "health problems early in life, including diseases like measles and contact with poisonous substances such as lead and mercury" [Source: Special Education Guide].

Traits:

Delay in reaching developmental milestones such as sitting up and talking

Difficulty remembering things

Trouble comprehending accepted social behaviors and/or understanding the consequences to actions

Poor problem-solving skills

[Source: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development]

Educational Challenges:

Trouble understanding new concepts

Inappropriate behavior

Limited vocabulary

Difficulty accomplishing complex tasks

[Source: Special Education Guide]

Incidence Rate

High Incidence
(5th - 439,000)

Assistive Technologies
There is a plethora of assistive technologies for students with learning disabilities specific for every subject.

These include:
1. Abbreviation Expanders, which enables students to "create, store and re-uses abbreviations for frequently-used words or phrases."

2. Alternative keyboards to help with students who struggle with typing.

3. Audio books and publications.

4. Electronic math work sheets, some that can use speech synthesizers to read the problem aloud.

5. Freeform database software, which enables the student "to create and store electronic notes by 'jotting down' relevant information of any length and on any subject. [The student]  can later retrieve the information by typing any fragment of the original note."

6. Graphic organizers and outlining program.

7. Information/data managers, which help a student "plan, organize, store, and retrieve his calendar, task list, contact data, and other information in electronic form. Personal data managers may be portable, hand-held devices, computer software, or a combination of those tools working together by "sharing" data."

8. Optical character recognition, which enables students to scan documents that with then be read aloud vis speech synthesis.

Other technologies include, personal FB listening systems, portable word processors, proofreading programs, speech-recognition programs, speech synthesizers/screen readers, talking calculators, talking spell checkers and electronic dictionaries, variable-speed tape recorders and word-prediction programs.
[Source: Reading Rockets]

Other Accommodations:

Other accommodations recommended include providing a quiet work space, teaching functional and practical activities such as learning how to boil an egg, repeating the day's concepts throughout the day, reducing the teacher-student ratio.

Others include hands-on learning and implementing safety measures specific for the student and providing a schedule that includes self-care.

Finally, patience is required at all times.

[Source: Therapy Travelers]

Pam Wright - 7 April 2021

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Definition:
IDEA: Emotional disturbance 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 child’s educational performance:
(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
(ii) Emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance under paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section.

Source: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c/4

From the Center for Parent Information & Resources:
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (often referred to as NICHCY) lists six types of emotional disturbances: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, conduct disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychotic disorders;

Source: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/emotionaldisturbance/

Incidence rate:
HIgh Incidence (7th - 358,000)

For the 2018–2019 school year, Emotional disturbances accounted for 5 percent of students served under IDEA.

Assistive technologies:
For students struggling with emotional disturbances, the actual work expected of them in the classroom setting can be a trigger for more behaviors. Therefore, the right tools might assist students when it comes to better organizing their tasks and coping with the stresses of the classroom. Recommendations include:

Text-to-speech software
Since reading can be too much for some students, text-to-speech software can allow struggling students to sit back and listen while a computer or tablet reads to them. This prevents them from trying to engage too many brain systems at once.

Reminder devices
These devices are a good way to get the attention of easily distracted students. A vibrating watch for instance will quietly prompt the student to refocus on the task at hand without teacher intervention. This results in feelings of greater independence.

Voice Recognition Software
For students struggling with the physical act of writing or translating their thoughts onto paper, voice recognition software will allow them to say what they would like to put on paper while the computer or tablet handles the rest.

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. Utilizing a talk light will provide educators with a tangible way to realize when volumes are reaching unacceptable levels for sensitive students.

Source: https://www.theedadvocate.org/assistive-technology-to-help-students-with-behavioral-disabilities-succeed-academically/

Other Accommodations:
Support the student’s inclusion. - Emotional disturbances, by their very nature, can make it difficult for people to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships. You can support the student with an emotional disturbance in subtle but meaningful ways, especially during group work, cooperative learning activities, peer interactions, and team projects. There may also be times to let the student work alone, take a break, or have a hall pass for some quiet time apart.

Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class. - Students with emotional disturbances are frequently the targets (rather than the initiators) of other students’ misbehaviors. Having a stated, explicit classroom management plan provides a solid structure by which both teacher and students can address inappropriate behavior, understand consequences, and develop a shared approach to behavior in class and toward one another.

Recognize the student's accomplishments. - Some students benefit from working toward a tangible goal on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. With a bonus points system, students earn points that can be saved up and cashed in for rewards at a later time. When designing a point system for students with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems, it is important to design the task and its time frame to fit the points. If the payoff is too far into the future, the student may give up on the task. Students may also be encouraged to record their progress on a chart or record sheet that enables them to see their progress toward the goal.

Encourage organization and routine. - Teach students to keep track of their assignments, grades, and targeted behaviors using reminders such as assignment sheets, daily schedules and to-do lists. Help students manage their time by establishing routines for making transitions between lessons, getting and putting away materials, and requesting assistance. Students can have cue cards on their desk or notebook to serve as visual cues for transition steps. Provide time-management reminders, such as 10-, 5-, or 2-minute warnings before clean-up time, to establish time limitations for completing work.

Source: https://elementaryemotionaldisturbance.weebly.com/for-teachers.html

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Definition: The official definition of deafness from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is “a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.”

Low Incidence
9th - National Center for Education Statistics does not show numbers for deaf students served under IDEA because they account for less than 0.5% of the students served.

Assistive Technologies

1)  Soundfield systems send the teacher’s voice from a microphone to one or more speakers positioned close to the child or mounted to a wall.

2)  Personal FM systems: sends the teacher's voice to the student through a personal speaker or implant via FM radio waves--this is especially useful for in-class use because it does not disturb other students, and allows the user to listen to it independently and without self-consciousness.

3)  Captioning Services for video/audio productions: converts live speech to live captions that the student can read--this works especially well for students who are 100% deaf. Luckily, there are speech-to-text apps like Dragon Dictation and subtitles for most videos shown on popular streaming platforms.

Other Accommodations

1) Face to Face Communication Systems - allows deaf students to have one-on-one conversations by typing onto a device, sending messages to an educator with the other device. This basically allows instant messaging between student and educator, only it can be used in person.

2) ASL Interpreter - allows for quick one-on-one communication between student and educators. ASL is more fluent and quicker than typing instant messages through communication systems, and many English-speaking deaf students (in the USA) use ASL.

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IDEA: Deaf-blindness is defined as
"...concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness."

Source: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c

Incidence Rate:
Low Incidence
(13th - 2,000)

Assistive Technologies:

AT for visual disabilities

Screen readers: A program that analyzes the layout and content of a website and provides a text to speech translation. The playback speed can be set by the user and commands allow them to skip from heading to heading, click links, and do other important tasks.

Braille displays: A device that translates digital text into braille dots that can be read with the fingers. (More on braille below, as it is very important to many deaf-blind people.)

Dictation: Speech recognition software allows a user to navigate, type, and interact with websites using their voice.

AT for hearing disabilities

Alerting devices: A device that converts an audio alert (e.g., doorbell, alarm clock) into a visual or physical alert that the person can perceive.

Telecommunications: Many different options are available for those who are D/deaf or HoH, including amplified telephones, TTY / TDD, Text-to-911, and video chat.

Enhanced listening: Systems can be used to connect an audio feed directly to someone’s hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Visual communication: Captions and transcripts (with the ability to enlarge or zoom in!) provide audio information in a visual format.

Other Accommodations:
Documents and transcripts

If documents and transcripts are formatted with accessibility in mind, they can be translated by braille devices for a person who is deaf-blind.

Phone communication

Each state has a program for people who are deaf or deaf-blind to make and receive phone calls. In Level Access’s home state of Virginia, the program is Virginia Relay and it is available 24/7.

A Virginia resident who is deaf-blind can make phone calls using TTY (text telephone)-to-braille with the help of a Virginia Relay Communication Assistant (CA). The CA serves as the interpreter between the two parties and types out the messages so the deaf-blind person can read them using their braille device. Virginia Relay’s services are also available in Spanish for in-state calls.

Remote Conference Captioning is also available for deaf-blind users who participate in conference calls for work.

Free equipment for deaf-blind people

The federal program iCanConnect offers free technology and training for those who are deaf-blind. iCanConnect is the easier-to-remember name of the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP—say that three times fast!), which was established by the FCC as part of the CVAA.

The mission of this program is to give deaf-blind people access to the technology they need to stay connected with the world. This includes braille devices, computers, tablets, smartphones, vibrating alert devices, accessories, and software.

Source: https://www.levelaccess.com/understanding-assistive-technology-how-do-deaf-blind-people-use-technology/#:~:text=Assistive%20technology%20used%20by%20deaf,depending%20on%20their%20individual%20needs.

It is important to note that Deaf-Blindness does not only refer to individuals that are totally both deaf and blind but often describes a person with some amount of residual hearing and/or vision.

If you see someone using a white cane or a guide dog, for example, it does not mean that they are totally blind. It means that they have sufficient vision loss that having a service dog or cane makes it easier and safer for them to navigate independently.

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High Incidence
(4th - 762,000)
Definition:
IDEA
(i) Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

(ii) Autism does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in paragraph (c)(4) of this section.

(iii) A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could be identified as having autism if the criteria in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section are satisfied.

Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability. (2018, May 25). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8

Key points/At a Glance:

People with autism struggle with social interaction, sensory processing, and communication.

Autism can look different from person to person.

A few years ago, the official definition of autism changed — Asperger’s is no longer a diagnosis.

Morin, A. (2021, April 2). Autism: What you need to know.Https://Www.Understood.Org/En/Learning-Thinking-Differences/Getting-Started/What-You-Need-to-Know/What-Is-Autism. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/getting-started/what-you-need-to-know/what-is-autism

COMMON TRAITS
Those with autism typically exhibit affected characteristics in the following categories: social interaction, behavior, and communication.

Examples of characteristics:

Unusual fixation

Inability to focus

Disruptive behavior when ordinary patterns and/or schedules is disrupted

Unusual communication habits, such as not talking at all to repeating certain words/phrases

Difficulty understanding social interactions

The Definition of Autism Under IDEA Part C. (2020, December 5). Special Education Guide. https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/autism/

Helpful “Low Tech” Accommodations and Strategies for the classroom:
Planning and Establishing, order and Routines:

A common feature for those with autism is an inability to handle changes in their scheduling or daily routine. When possible, a highly organized daily routine limits anxiety. A clear daily schedule with defined transitions helps autistic learners anticipate change and enable them to better prepare. Warning and preparation for when changes are expected also help to mitigate stress.

Sensory tools:

Autistic children often have difficulties regulating their sensory system, often referred to as sensory processing disorder. Sensory tools often referred to as fidgets, can often relieve stress and anxiety. Examples of such tools could be something as simple as a rubber band, stress balls, and weighted blankets.

A quiet place:

Autistic children are often very sensitive to sound and loud noises. This could lead to being easily distracted to emotionally upset. Noise-canceling headphones of earplugs can help a student to focus or calm down. Furthermore, having a “quiet corner” or space where a student can have access to an area that is low traffic helps to prevent sensory overload. This allows the student to escape the constant noise and visual stimuli that is around them.

Extra Breaks:

Students who are on the spectrum often have difficulty staying on task or focused as long as their peers. These breaks can include a respite from the classroom setting and might be brief periods of movement around a classroom or retreats to the “quiet corner”. These breaks allow the learner to reorganize their thoughts and focus so that they can return back to the task.

Alternate Learning Material:

Just like all learners, autistic students learn in unique and specific materials and respond differently to media. Adapting media for visual learners could be providing materials such as movies, picture books, charts, and graphic organizers. Whereas those with auditory learning styles might require audiobooks or audio recorded instructions that can be replayed.

C. (2016, October 29). 5 Important Classroom Accommodations For Children With Autism – Caring 4 Our Kids. Https://Caring4ourkids.Com/Important-Classroom-Accommodations-for-Autistic-Children/. https://caring4ourkids.com/important-classroom-accommodations-for-autistic-children/

What are typical challenges and accommodations for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder? DO-IT. (2019, April 30). Https://Www.Washington.Edu/Doit/What-Are-Typical-Challenges-and-Accommodations-Students-Autism-Spectrum-Disorder. https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-are-typical-challenges-and-accommodations-students-autism-spectrum-disorder

Assistive Technologies
Speaking and communication:

Some autistic children are limited speech or non-verbal. For these students, there are a variety of accommodations that can be made available to the learner. These could be simple type-to-speech programs that are readily found on any computer or smartphone. For more severe forms of autism, Talk Pads and other electronic communications pads/surfaces use a variety of images and symbols that the student can interact with by pressing on/selecting the idea or word they wish to communicate.

Study and Engagement:

Computers can often help autistic learners study and work at their own pace without the distractions of a regular classroom. Using a variety of commercial and/or proprietary computer programs or learning platforms (some commonly used among non-autistic learners) can help autistic learners study at their pace and engage with classroom content at their own pace. A typical setup might have a student sit at a computer with headphones on, where they choose the videos, documents, or other materials used to learn the objectives or content of study.

National Association of Special Education Teachers: Teachers Teaching Exceptional Children. (2018, June 30). Https://Www.Naset.Org/Fileadmin/User_upload/Autism_Series/Assist_tech/. https://www.naset.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Autism_Series/Assist_tech/