Chaps 7&8

SW 2300 Syllabus

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Developmental Disabilities

Types of developmental disabilities

Mental retardation

Cerebral palsy

Autism

Orthopedic Programs

Hearing Loss

Epilepsy

TBI

Learning disabilities - ADHD

Fetal alcohol/crack

Mental Retardation

Developmental delays

Ability to adapt to environment

Age appropriate tasks

Activities of daily living

IQ less than 70

Apx 2% of population/1% children

Down's syndrome

Cerebral Palsy

Brain damage from birth

Spasticity - muscle spasm/tightness

Dyskinesia - uncontrolled movements

Ataxia - walking or balance disorder

May or may not be accompanied with mental retardation

Autism

World of their own - internal world

Overly sensitive to stimulation?

4-5 out of 10,000 children

Social withdrawal

Often non verbal

Don't respond to social interactions

Traumatic Brain Injury

Acquired disability

May be due to abuse

May be undiagnosed

Memory problems, impulsive, impaired social skills

Learning Disabilities

1977 Office of Education definition - a disorder in one or more of following:

– understanding and/or using language

– imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell or calculate

– Includes perceptual handicaps, brain injury, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.

Learning disabilities are not

The result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps

- mental retardation

- emotional disturbances

- the result of environment, cultural or economic disadvantage

1988 Joint Committee on Learning disabilities

A general term referring to a group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.

Intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be the due to central nervous system dysfunction and persist across life span

Problems in self regulatory behaviors, social perception, social interaction may co- exist but don't constitute LD

May also co-exist with sensory impairment, mental retardation, emotional problems, etc but are not the result of these conditions

Models used to determine LD

Aptitude/achievement discrepancy

Information processing deficit

Deficits in a specific intellectual skill area

Deficits in an academic skill area (reading, math, writing)

The Laws

1974 - The education for all Handicapped Children's law. Now known as IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). K-12. Entitlement law

!973 Vocational Rehab Act - Section 504. Covers post secondary students

1990 - American with Disabilities Act - Civil Rights


The impact of laws

Schools obligated to educate children up to age 26 in certain cases

Mainstreaming

Vocational training and workshops

Schools and businesses must make reasonable accommodations for disabled

Now - Person Centered Planning

Also the reproductive rights of the developmentally disabled are strongly protected

Other conditions

Fetal alcohol

Crack babies