Orthopedic Impairment

(Having deformity, weakness, or damage to bones or muscles that affects performance) Legal Definition of Disability:
The Federal (IDEA) definition of orthopedic impairment means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a childs 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). The term 'Orthopedic Impairment' encompasses a very wide variety of disabilities. The specific characteristics of an individual who has an orthopedic impairment will depend on the specific disease and its severity, as well as additional individual factors. -Inclusion. -Allow longer response time. -Shorten assignments or extend time limits to accommodate for slower speed. -Allow oral responses. -Bind or attach papers and materials to the desk -Reduce demand for copying from the board or overhead by providing the student with notes or outlines. -Provide frequent breaks to prevent fatigue and to improve concentration. -Provide frequent position changes. -Provide necessary assistance with personal needs such as feeding or toileting. -Present material on a students dominant (most functional) side, or in the center, unless otherwise instructed by a therapist or facilitator. -Ask whether a student needs more liquids and/or more toilet breaks than do other students. -Provide environmental adaptations such as extra space, rounded or soft edges on desks, and equipment to provide support and stability.

The 3 main areas of disorders: Neuromotor impairments, o i.e. Cerebral Palsy or Spinabifida Degenerative diseases o I.e. Muscular Dystrophy Musculoskelatal disorders o i.e. juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and limb deficiency. Common Characteristics: Paralysis Unsteady gait or manner of walking Poor muscle control Loss of limb Production of speech & expression Did you know?
The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special education services in the 20032004 school years. Of that number, roughly 1.1%, or 68,188 students, received special education services based on a classification of orthopedic impairments -ANDIn 2004, the U.S. Department of Education reported that about 46% of school-age children receiving special education services under the orthopedic impairments category were educated in general education classrooms.

Strategies when using Technology

-Insure that the student can always see the teacher and all activities, boards, overheads, DVDs, and other visual displays. -Insure that the student can access work spaces, including laboratory equipment and the classroom computer. Consider height and the degree to which a students wheelchair or positioning equipment can fit the table or desk. -Provide instruction in a variety of formats to meet multisensory needs: simplified visuals and enlarged text, auditory input, and manipulatives. -Help students acquire and use assistive technology such as pencil grips, raised line paper, graph paper, speech recognition software, modified keyboards, eye gaze control, screen reading software, augmentative and alternative communication devices (such as communication boards), academic software packages, EasyStand chairs.

Suggested Teaching/Learning Strategies:

Additional Resources & Benefit: http://orthopedicimpairments.weebly.com/f or-teachers.html This is a great site for teachers, students and parents. There is a deep history of the disability, lists of famous people who have the disability, learning strategies, accommodations, and links to more resources. http://www.projectidealonline.org/orthopedi cImpairments.php this webpage provides an orthopedic impairment overview, from the definition and characteristics of the disability, to the assistive technology and helpful resources to use. https://sites.google.com/site/specialeducatio nnation/orthopedic-impairment Special Education Nation webpage that provides details on orthopedic impairment and implementation of educational strategies. http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/PDFs/AZ_fld29 _framework.pdf A pdf. document that takes a closer look into understanding students with orthopedic impairment and how to address each situation differently. http://www.education.com/reference/article /orthopedic-impairments/#E A webpage that provides a lot of examples and talks about assessment and education for the impaired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxd0flLf vBM&list=PL32C763F8A76F6ECB&index=1 This video demonstrates one case a piece of technology makes a world a difference. Prezi Presentation: http://prezi.com/j7vkpqge4vu5/edit/#8