What is a disability?

By: Mrs. Wesson

disability disability (ds'-bl'-t)

n.
A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a
physical or mental impairment that prevents
or restricts normal achievement.
The American Heritage Stedman's Medical
Dictionary
Copyright 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton
Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton
Mifflin Company.

NO! Disabilities are NOT contagious like the

common cold is.

Each one of us are unique, meaning we were

born as individuals. We are all different! We

all have strengths and weaknesses. For
example, you might be really good in math
but struggle with reading.

Not all disabilities you can see!

Some kids in our school have physical

disabilities while other have mental

disabilities.some have both!
Well learn about students with learning

disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder, autism, and emotional disabilities.

What is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability is a neurological disorder.

In simple terms, a learning disability results

from a difference in the way a person's brain
is "wired." Children with learning disabilities
are as smart or smarter than their peers. But
they may have difficulty reading, writing,
spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing
information if left to figure things out by
themselves or if taught in conventional ways.

Did you know that Albert Einstein couldn't

read until he was nine? Walt Disney, General

George Patton, and Vice President Nelson
Rockefeller had trouble reading all their lives.
Whoopi Goldberg and Charles Schwab and
many others have learning disabilities which
haven't affected their ultimate success.

Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one

in seven Americans, has some type of learning

disability, according to the National Institutes
of Health.
Difficulty with basic reading and language
skills are the most common learning
disabilities. As many as 80% of students with
learning disabilities have reading problems.
Learning disabilities often run in families.

Typoglycemia
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht
I was rdanieg. But beuasce of the phaonmneal pweor
of the hmuan mnid (aoccdrnig to a rscheearch taem at
Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy) it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in
a wrod are witrten, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the
frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can
be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a
porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a
cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia :)Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling
was ipmorantt.

This excerpt may simulate how words or

passages in a book may overwhelm a student

with learning disabilities who struggles with
reading comprehension or who have spelling
difficulties.

What are your reactions???

Sometimes in class youll notice extra adults

in the room. They often:

Redirect
Reexplain
Modify work by assigning different problems,

changing the length of assignments, or by

assigning an alternate task/assignment.
Answer questions from kids with AND without
disabilities!

 Often times kids with learning disabilities are placed

in certain support groups or intervention groups.

Reading intervention
Writing workshop
Math booster
Assisted studies

Tools:
AlphaSmarts- Help with written expression difficulties
Readers- play special cds where a human voice reads
the words from novels and even text books.
Highlighters- are placed over typed words in books or
papers making it easier to read and focus on a certain
line.

What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

is a condition that becomes apparent in some

children in the preschool and early school
years. It is hard for these children to control
their behavior and/or pay attention. It is
estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of
children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million
children in the United States. This means that
in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely
that at least one will have ADHD.

Kids with ADHD sometimes need extra help

paying attention during class. Teachers may

use signals such as a tap on the table to help
kids stay on task.
Movement breaks- getting up and stretching
often helps.
Using fidgets- playing with an object in your
hand such as a stress ball often helps kids to
focus during class.
Medication- sometimes the doctor will put kids
on certain medications which impact their
brain so that they are able to focus easier.

What can you do?

Reach out to those kids who you see alone or

by themselves. Invite them to join your group,

ask them how their day is, have them join your
table at lunch or walk with them in the hallway.
Kids with Autism want to have friends and dont

want to be alone but simply dont know how to

effectively communicate with their peers.

Is it fair to take medicine if youre sick to feel

better?

The same is true with disabilities. Most kids

with a disability get accommodations and

modifications throughout their day in order for
them to be successful.

 The term "accommodation" may be used to describe

an alteration of environment, curriculum format, or

equipment that allows an individual with a disability
to gain access to content and/or complete assigned
tasks.. Examples of accommodations include:
sign language interpreters for students who are deaf;
computer text-to-speech computer-based systems for

students with visual impairments or Dyslexia;

extended time for students with fine motor limitations,
visual impairments, or learning disabilities;
large-print books and worksheets for students with
visual impairments; and
trackballs and alternative keyboards for students who
operate standard mice and keyboards.

The term "modification" may be used to

describe a change in the curriculum.

Modifications are made for students with
disabilities who are unable to comprehend all
of the content an instructor is teaching. For
example, assignments might be reduced in
number and modified significantly for an
elementary school student with cognitive
impairments that limit his/her ability to
understand the content in general education
class in which they are included.

I challenge you to go out of your way to make

new friends this year with someone who isnt

exactly like you. Who knowsyou just might
make a life-long friend!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
A little parting
inspiration: Together Everyone
v=Sb_tEOkcfds&feature=related
Achieves More (TEAM)