BSNED 2: LEARNERS WITH SENSORY AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES- These are physical limitations or health problems that interfere with school
attendance or learning to such an extent that special services, training equipment, materials or facilities are
required. It is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. It may affect
temporarily, or permanently, a person’s physical capacity and/or mobility.

MAJOR CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

 Neurological Conditions- damage to the central nervous system (brain or spinal cord) it vary from very
mild to severe and may include physical, cognitive, speech-language, or sensory abilities or a combination
thereof.
Ex.
1. Spina Bifida
2. Cerebral Palsy
3. Seizure Disorder (Epilepsy)
 Musculoskeletal Conditions- a wide variety of other deformities or degeneration of muscles or bones
affecting the ability to walk, stand, sit, or use the hands or feet normally.
Ex.
1. Muscular Dystrophy
2. Limb Deficiences or Amputations
3. Rheumatoid Arthritis
 Other Health Impairments- a wide variety of infectious diseases and chronic problems such as:
1. Hemophilia
2. Fetal School Syndrome
3. Cystic Fibrosis
4. Immunodeficiency (including HIV and AIDS)

TYPES OF PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

 Acquired Brain Injury- due to damage that happens to the brain after birth.Common for many people
with a brain injury to have trouble processing information, planning, and solving problems. Experience
changes to their behaviour and personality, physical and sensory abilities, or thinking and learning.
 Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)- Spinal Cord can become injured if too much pressure is applied and/or if the
blood and oxygen supply to the spinal cord is cut.When the spinal cord has been damaged, it leads to a loss
of function such as mobility or feeling.
 Spina Bifida- The incomplete formation of the spine and spinal cord in utero can cause the spinal cord and
nerves to be exposed on the surface of the back, instead of being inside a canal of bone surrounded by
muscle.
 Cerebral Palsy- Due to an injury to the developing brain before or during birth, caused by a reduced blood
supply and lack of oxygen to the brain. Illness during pregnancy such as rubella accidental injury to the
brain, meningitis in young children, and premature birth can all be causes. Experience weakness, difficulty
walking, lack of muscle control, problems with coordination, involuntary movements, and other symptoms.
 Cystic Fibrosis (CF)- an inherited genetic condition, which affects the body’s respiratory, digestive, and
reproductive system. It affects the mucus and sweat glands in the body, causing mucus to be thick and
sticky. This can clog the air passages and trap bacteria causing lung damage and recurrent infections. Also
have low salt levels in the body which can cause problems such as fatigue, cramps and dehydration.
 Epilepsy- A neurological condition where a person has a tendency to have recurring seizures due to a
sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain. Causes unusual movements, odd feelings or sensations, a
change in a person’s behaviour, or cause them to lose consciousness.
 Multiple Sclerosis- it occurs when myelin sheath – protective tissue around nerve fibers in the body –
becomes damaged, causing random patches or scars. Includes fatigue, loss of motor control, tingling,
numbness, visual disturbances, memory loss depression and cognitive difficulties.
 Muscular Dystrophy- A group of genetic disorders that lead to progressive and irreversible weakness and
loss of muscle mass.
Signs and Symptoms:
 Difficulty in walking
 Trouble breathing or swallowing
 Restriction in Joint Motion
 Heart and Organ problem

 Dwarfism- Short stature (abnormal skeletal growth) which can be cause by over 300 genetic or medical
conditions

2 Categories of Dwarfism:
1. Disproportionate Dwarfism- some parts of the body are smaller, while the other parts are
average or above average.
2. Proportionate Dwarfism- where the body is averagely proportioned, and all parts of the body
are small to the same degree
Other Health Impairments (OHI)- having limited strength, vitality, or alertness to environmental stimuli, that
results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment.
Chronic or Acute Health Problem :
 Asthma
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
 Diabetes
 Epilepsy
 Heart Condition
Special Help for Children with OHI
 Early Intervention Services- Free evaluation of the baby or toddler to see what problem is,
identifying the needs based on the child’s disability or developmental delay.
 Special Education and Related Services- For children 3 to 21, sometimes older. These services
include specially designed instruction and a wide range of supports to address the student’s individual
needs that result from his or her disability
EXAMPLES OF OHI:
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
 Asthma
 Heart Condition
 Diabetes
COPING CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITY AND OTHER HEALTH IMPAIREMENTS
 ART LESSON FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
 PHYSICAL DISABILITY AWARENESS

Hearing Impairment - is an impairment in hearing , whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a
child’s educational performance but is not included under the” deafness” definition. (Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act or IDEA )
Residual Hearing- Is the ability to hear some sounds even if a hearing loss exist.
Estimates on the magnitude of disabling hearing loss by World Health Organization (2012):
 360 million people suffer with disabling hearing loss
 328 million of these are adults: 183 million Males 145 million Females 32 million
Tips for teaching children with mild hearing loss:
 Reduce background noise
 Make sure they can read your lips
 Get their attention
 Give plenty of breaks
 Use technology

Assistive Devices for the Hearing Impaired:

 Personal Fm system Videos with close captioning
 Amplifier
 Mobile devices for texting
 Videos with subtitles
Tech Tools for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students:
 Hearing Aids
 Cochlear Implants
 Smartphone apps

STRATEGIES FOR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH HEARING

IMPAIRMENT
CLASSROOM ADAPTATIONS
 Turn off equipment that creates background noises such as:
 Fans and projectors when not in use
 If your portable or classroom has noisy heating or cooling systems, consider requesting a room change
 Eliminating extra noise helps students with hearing impairments focus on the class lecture and assignments
 Remember that hearing aids amplify every sound include: tapping pencils and air conditioners, area rugs,
heavy curtains, tennis balls on chair bottoms can also eliminate a great deal of extraneous noise.
Communication Considerations
 Look directly at the student and face him or her when communicating or teaching.
 Sign the student’s name or signal their attention in some way before speaking.
 Speak naturally and clearly. Remember speaking louder won’t help.
 Do not exaggerate your lip movements, but slowing down a little may help some students.
 Use facial expressions, gestures and body language to help convey your message, but don’t overdo it.
 Some communication may be difficult for the hard of hearing student to understand. Explicitly teach
idioms and explain jokes and sarcasm.
 Young hearing impaired children often lag in the development of social graces. Consider teaching specific
social skills such as joining in to games or conversation, maintaining conversations, and staying on topic.
 Male teachers should keep moustaches well groomed.
 Female should NOT wear clothes that are printed when interpreting and NEVER wear jewelries.

5 TIPS FOR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

1. Use captions
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
2. Make use of available technology
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.
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

Children with Hearing Loss – Helpful Adaptations in the School Environment

Our ears funnel sound to our brains so that we can ‘hear’.
• When we purposely pay attention to some sounds rather than others we ‘listen’.
• If people cannot hear or listen well enough to fully understand what is said, then using visual cues in the
environment can help them access information.
• The amount of background noise in the classroom can also affect listening and should be minimized for best
understanding.

Classroom Considerations that Help Most Students

 Keep the classroom door closed to minimize noise in the hallway from interfering with learning.
 Teacher avoids standing in front of a window so that his/her face can be seen without glare from the sun or
outside distractions.
 All new directions, concepts and information should be presented from the front of the room, not when the
teacher is moving between desks or during noisy classroom transition times.
 Adhere to a classroom routine; if a student misses something they will be better able to predict what they
should be doing or what will happen next.
 Maintain quiet during lecture times and classroom discussion when students will be expected to understand
information
 During classroom discussions ask students to speak one at a time.
 Summarize key points made by students’ answers or comments during class discussion.
 Write all assignments on the board, including textbook page numbers the class will be turning to in each
lesson period.
 If a visual is used, like a map, graph or a projected image, allow students a chance to look at the visual,
describe what they are seeing, and provide short silences so they can process the meaning of both the visual
and what is being said.

Classroom Adaptations to Help Children with Hearing Loss Listen Better

 Assign children to classrooms that have acceptable acoustics. Open-plan schools are not appropriate
settings for children with hearing loss who are auditory learners. Noisy ventilation system, rooms next to
noisy gym or band areas and classrooms that lack acoustic ceiling tile and/or carpeting are likely to add to
the child’s listening and learning challenges. Felt pads or tennis balls on the legs of the chairs/desks will
cut down on noise made by students.
 Make sure the child’s hearing aids or cochlear implants are functioning each day. A school staff member
should be responsible for checking the devices daily and/or for working with the student as they gain
responsibility for performing daily checks of their own devices
 Use FM devices to allow the child to be able to hear school assemblies and daily announcements. Provide a
way to use FM with Smart Boards, computers and videos.
 Seat the student in the second row and a little off to one side of the classroom. If he or she has a better
hearing ear, that ear should be facing the teacher. Recognize that the student may need to turn to watch
 other students as they speak or to gather visual cues if they miss directions.
 The student and teacher can work out a signal that can be used when the student is having a hard time
understanding
 Encourage the student to close the classroom door if it is open to interfering noise.

Teaching Techniques for Students with a Hearing Loss

 Bilingual-Bicultural: In this approach, American Sign Language is the only method used in the classroom.
Traditional English is taught through exposure to printed words on paper.
 Total Communication: This method combines auditory and visual communication for instruction. A
combination of sign systems can be used, including American Sign Language, signed English, speech and
sign language used simultaneously, cued speech and/or other communication methods.
 Auditory/Oral: This teaching approach does not use sign language, but instead teaches the English
Language through residual hearing and speech.

Auditory Method
The goal of the auditory methods is to teach a child how to use his residual hearing so that he may have access
to spoken language. Additionally, there is also a great emphasis on speech and speech reading. The ultimate
educational goal is to place the child in a mainstream school environment.

According to a Sped teacher who teaches Hearing Impaired students.....

Teaching Deaf (with hearing aids/ cochlear implants) how to produce sound is just like teaching regular
students but here in Philippines most of the deaf cannot afford to buy those that's why I think of different
techniques in order for my students to be able to speak. I teach them lip reading but it is so hard to recognize all
the words by just looking at the lip/mouth. So, I teach them to pronounce the words/ letters through vibration.
(Bonifacio,2019)

Conclusion:
Teaching Deaf how to produce sound is quiet hard and takes a lot of time and effort not only to the teachers
but to the learner as well. The use of Vibration method is one way of teaching deaf how to produce sound that
was commonly used here in Philippines by our SPED Teachers who Teaches Deaf students.