DISABLED CHILDRENAND CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, handicaps,activity limitations, and participation restrictions.

• An impairment is a problem in body function or structure;

• An activity limitation is a difficulty in executing a task or action;

• While a participation restriction is a problem in taking part in life situations.

• There are a number of disabilities/conditions that may interfere with people´s work, hobbies and basically their ability to live their life.

We distinguish:

- mentally/(cognitive) disabled/handicapped/challenged

- physically disabled/handicapped/challenged

Sensoric disabilities:

- visually impaired/challenged/disabled

- auditory challenged/impaired/disabled

We prefer to use PEOPLE FIRST NAMES when talking about people with disability.

For example: instead of an “ epileptic boy“ we prefer to say: “ A BOY with epilepsy“

Other phrases: insted of a boy confined to wheelchair we prefer to say a boy who uses a wheelchair, etc.

Use relative clauses: a person who is, who has, a person with, etc.

If a person uses a wheelchair, conversations at different eye levels are difficult. If a conversation continues for more than a few minutes and if it is possible to do so, sit down, kneel, or squat and share eye level.

A wheelchair is part of the person's body space. Do not automatically hang or lean on the chair; it is similar to hanging or leaning on the person. It is fine if you are friends but inappropriate otherwise.

Using words like walking or running is appropriate. Sensitivity to these words is not necessary. People who use wheelchairs use the same words.

When it appears that a person needs assistance, ask if you can help. Most persons will ask for assistance if they need it. Be also ready to accept no thank you.

People with physical disabilities are not confined to wheelchairs. They often transfer over to automobiles and to furniture. Some who use wheelchairs can walk with the aid of canes, braces, crutches or walkers. Using a wheelchair some of the time does not mean an individual is faking a disability. It may be a means to conserve energy or move about more quickly.

If a person's speech is difficult to understand, do not hesitate to ask him/her to repeat.

What is it:

A learning disability is any one of a diverse group of conditions, believed to be of neurological origin, that cause significant difficulties in perceiving and/or processing auditory, visual or spatial information, or any combination of these information forms.

Who has them:

Learning disabilities often occur in people of average or above average intelligence.

Dyslexia - a language and reading disability that causes people to have trouble understanding words, sentences, or paragraphs.

Dysgraphia - a disorder that causes difficulty with forming letters or writing within a defined space. People with this disorder need extra time and effort to write neatly. Despite their efforts, their handwriting may be almost illegible.

Dyscalculia - a disorder that causes people to have problems doing arithmetic and grasping mathematical concepts. While many people have problems with math, a person with dyscalculia has a much more difficult time solving basic math problems than his or her peers.

Dyspraxia - a problem with motion that interferes with a person’s ability to make a controlled or coordinated physical response in a given situation.

Dysortography -is a disorder of written language.
It is characterised by major spelling mistakes such as confusions, omissions or inversions of letters and syllables, errors of conjugation, and arbitrary word breaks.

Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a disorder of speech characterized by poor articulation. It prevents control of the tongue , throat , lips or lungs .

Dyslalia

Dyslalia developmental disorder of voice and pronunciation of phonal groups, faulty pronunciation of one or more sounds of the mother tongue.

Dysphasia

is impairment of the power of expression by speech, writing, or signs, or impairment of the power of comprehension of spoken or written language. More severe forms of dysphasia are called aphasia.

Dyspinxia

Dyspinxia is a specific drawing disorder, characterised by low levels of artwork.

Dysmusia

Reduced sense of music, inability to remember, recall, reproduce, melody and rhythm.

• ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder while not considered a learning disability, can certainly disrupt learning.

• Children with ADHD often have problems with sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying organized, and completing homework.

• is a neurobiological condition seen as a impulsivity, attention deficit, and in a few cases, hyperactivity beginning in childhood, "typically" by the time they are 7. Children with AD/HD often have a 2-4 year developmental delay and frequently have other coexisting conditions.

SPEECH IMPAIRMENT

What is speech impairment

• Speech disorders, impairments or speech impediments are a type of communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, stammering, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute.

By a strict classification, only 5% to 10% of the world population has a completely normal manner of speaking (with respect to all parameters) and healthy voice

Stammering

Stuttering

Cluttering

Muteness

Voice disorders

Lisp

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Visual impairment (or vision impairment) is vision loss of various degrees - a person needs an additional support. It can be caused by either a disease, a trauma, or a congenital or a degenerative condition that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive correction, medication, or surgery.

Eye disorders which can lead to visual impairments can include retinal degeneration, albinism, cataracts, glaucoma, muscular problems that result in visual disturbances, corneal disorders, diabetic retinopathy, congenital disorders, and infection."

Visual impairment can also be caused by brain and nerve disorders, in which case it is usually termed cortical visual impairment

- other terms used are "partially sighted," "low vision," "legally blind," and "totally blind“ are used to refer to people with l impairments

Amblyopia

• Amblyopia, often called lazy eye, occurs when the image from one eye is suppressed as it travels to the brain.

• Sometimes this condition is treated by putting a patch on the stronger eye so the "lazy" eye is forced to work harder.

• This patch may need to be worn for a few months or even a year, and sometimes glasses also are needed. Early treatment is essential; the younger a child is, the more quickly his eye will respond to treatment.

• Wearing an eye patch can be uncomfortable. A child unaccustomed to using its "lazy" eye can feel different and may protest or complain.

• Remember, the most important factor is keeping the patch on her eye. Avoid the practice of letting her take off the patch as a reward for wearing it for a period of time.

Shortsighted x longsighted

• Do you know the difference between long-sightedness and shortsightedness?

• It is simple for shortsighted/ nearsighted/myopic. people. They need glasses ( a concave lens needed) to see objects at far distances. For example watching television, going to the cinema and driving. For these tasks either spectacles or contact lenses are needed to resolve the detail at distance.

• Long-sightedness (a convex lens needed) is a common vision problem, which means that people can't focus on close objects so they look blurred. Long-sightedness is known medically as hyperopia or hypermetropia. Another name for it is far-sightedness. You see technically longsighted people would only require spectacles for close work like reading and computer work. But if they have a strong prescription they may need to wear the correcting for distances, this is particularly the case for children, where the spectacles may also correct a squint.

BRAILLE

• The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing. Braille was devised in 1821 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman

Strabismus

What is it?

Strabismus, more commonly known as cross-eyed or wall-eyed, is a vision condition in which a person can not align both eyes simultaneously under normal conditions.

One or both of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down.

HEARING DISABILITY

Hearing impairment or hard of

hearing or deafness refers to conditions in which

individuals are fully or partially unable to detect

or perceive sound

which can typically be heard by members of

their species

Hearing impairments may exist in only one ear (unilateral) or in both ears (bilateral).

The severity of a hearing impairment is ranked according to the loudness (measured in decibels (dB)) - they are ranked as mild, moderate, severe or profound

• Causes of hearing loss in childrenCauses of Hearing Loss: Congenital factors such as toxoplasmosis, rubella, CMV, herpes, or syphilis, genetic factors or syndromes, low birth weight, noise and genetics are some of the common causes .
  
  - the most common acquired hearing loss are caused by factors such as excessive ear wax, foreign bodies in the ear like beads, tumors, problems with the Eustachian tube, acute or chronic ear infections and perforation of the eardrum.
  
  Signs of Hearing Loss in Children
  
  Here is a checklist of developmental guidelines that can help diagnose hearing loss in children, based on their age. If your child is not reaching these milestones, then it would be best to consult an audiologist.
  
  Birth to four months
  Most babies are startled by sudden loud sounds especially when sleeping in a quiet room, the baby moves or wakes up at the sound of voices or noises.
  They seem to calm down when they are crying on hearing the mother's voice which they now recognize better than other voices.
  They turn their head toward a sound at the age of 3 to 4 months.

For older children, there are other significant signs of hearing loss:

• Tilting head when trying to listen

• Difficulty hearing some sounds but not others

• Not startled by sudden, loud noises

• Not responding when called

• Presence of others not acknowledged until they see them

• Delayed, garbled speech

• Asks for instructions to be repeated

• Looking at lips when listening to others

• If you suspect hearing loss in your children based on these signs, then it is best to consult an audiologist as soon as possible, to get the ear problems checked. Sometimes your audiologist may prescribe hearing aids to be worn.

AUTISM

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterised by an impairment in social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behaviour.

These signs all begin before a child is three years old.

Autism affects information processing in the brain.

It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs), the other two are: Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Autistic infants show less attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often, and respond less to their own name. They act aloof and withdrawn, and don´t understand social cues. An introvert, their parents think. But they also seem oddly obsessed with a single thing, resist cuddling, look content to be alone, happier to play alone, not interested in toys.

Autistic chidren differ more strikingly from social norms, for example, they have less eye contact and turn taking, and are more likely to communicate by manipulating another person's hand instead of talking.

MENTAL DISORDERS

A mental disorder or mental illness/condition is a psychological or behavioral disorder.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. Together they create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry.

Depression

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking and of emotional responsiveness.

It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood.

Symptoms of mental illnesses in children:

Symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include:

• Inability to cope with daily problems and activities

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

• Excessive complaints of physical ailments

• Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death

- Frequent outbursts of anger

- Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts

• Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy

• Significant increase in time spent alone

• Excessive worrying or anxiety

• Hyperactivity

• Persistent nightmares or night terrors

• Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior

• Frequent temper losses or tantrums

• Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

Mental retardation

Mental retardation (MR) is a disorder, characterised by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits that appears before adulthood.

It has historically been defined as an Intelligence Quotient score under 70.

MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS

This category of disability includes people with various types of physical disabilities including:

• Upper limb(s) disability.

• Lower limb(s) disability

• Manual dexterity.

• Disability in co-ordination with different organs of the body.

Disability in mobility can be either in-born

or acquired. It could also be the effect of a disease.

Among the most common permanent disorders are musculoskeletal disabilities such as partial or total paralysis, amputation or severe spinal injury, types of arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, head injury and cerebral palsy. Additionally, conditions such as respiratory and cardiac diseases may also impair mobility.

MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

= multiple handicap or complex conditions

Means a combination of any two or more types of disabilities.

DOWN SYNDROME

Down syndrome,also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. It affects about 1 in every 800 babies.

Though Down syndrome can't be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born

What Causes It?

Normally, at the time of conception a baby inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father.

In most cases of Down syndrome, a child gets an extra chromosome 21 — for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. It's this extra genetic material that causes the physical features and developmental delays associated with DS.

FEATURES:

• slanted eyes, single palmar crease

• small ears

• protruding tongue

• Low muscle tone (called hypotonia) 

• sitting up, crawling, and walking — later than other kids

• grow at a slower rate and remain smaller than their peers

• In infants, low muscle tone may contribute to sucking and feeding problems

SPINA BIFIDA

• Spina bifida is a birth defect - an incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings.

• Spina bifida occurs at the end of the first month of pregnancy when the two sides of the embryo's spine fail to join together, leaving an open area. In some cases, the spinal cord or other membranes may push through this opening in the back. The condition usually is detected before a baby is born and treated right away.

Causes:

• The causes of spina bifida are largely unknown. Some evidence suggests that genes may play a role, but in most cases there is no familial connection.

A high fever during pregnancy may increase a woman's chances of having a baby with spina bifida. Women with epilepsy who have taken the drug valproic acid to control seizures may have an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida.

Types of Spina Bifida:

The two forms of spina bifida are: spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta.

 CLEFT PALATE

Cleft palate is a treatable birth defect.

It happens when the roof of the baby's mouth (palate) does not develop normally during  pregnancy, leaving an opening (cleft) in the palate that may go through to the nasal cavity. A cleft can form on any part of the palate, including the front part of the roof of the mouth (hard palate) or the small flap of tissue that hangs down from the soft palate.

Cleft palate and cleft lip are the most common birth defects of the head and neck. Until it is treated with surgery, a cleft palate can cause problems with feeding, speech, and hearing.

What causes cleft palate?

• Use certain medicines while you're pregnant.

• alcohol or illegal drugs while you're pregnant.

• Smoke while you're pregnant.

• Are exposed to radiation or infections

while you're pregnant.

• Have a family history of cleft palate

CEREBRAL PALSY

• Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movements and muscle coordination.

• It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development or infancy. It also can occur before, during or shortly following birth.
  
  "Cerebral" refers to the brain and "Palsy" to a disorder of movement or posture.  If someone has cerebral palsy it means that because of an injury to their brain (cerebral) they are not able to use some of the muscles in their body in the normal way (palsy). Children with cerebral palsy may not be able to walk, talk, eat or play in the same ways as most other children.
  
  Cerebral palsy is neither progressive nor communicable. It is also not "curable" in the accepted sense, although education, therapy and applied technology can help persons with cerebral palsy lead productive lives. It is important to know that cerebral palsy is not a disease or illness. It isn't contagious and it doesn't get worse. Children who have cerebral palsy will have it all their lives.
  
  Cerebral palsy is characterised by an inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination. Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, people with cerebral palsy may experience one or more of the following:

Symtoms:

• Muscle tightness or spasm

• Involuntary movement

• Disturbance in gait and mobility

• Abnormal sensation and perception

• Impairment of sight, hearing or speech

• Seizures

• Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of cerebral palsy, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all cerebral palsy cases. Children with this type of cerebral palsy have one or more tight muscle groups which limit movement. Children with spastic cerebral palsy have stiff and jerky movements. 

SPECIAL NEEDS

• Special needs is a general term used to describe Individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological.

• In the UK, Special needs often refers to special needs within an educational context. This is also referred to as special educational needs.

• In Germany a similar term exists. Special needs kids are called "besondere Kinder" ("special children").

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

The term Special Needs in the education setting means that a child is provided an Individual Education Plan which is sometimes referred to as an Individual Program plan

EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES

Offer the therapeutic and support services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

For example :

Meetings of parents of children with disabilities, sports rehabilitation and therapeutic activities (hipporehabilitation, swimming), group psychotherapy, provide one-off consultation.

Where:

Brno, České Budějovice, Liberec, Olomouc, Ostrava,Plzeň, Praha

Association of the Disabled

non-profit organization that provides services to handicapped children

• Transport for People with Disabilities

• Reconditioning and rehabilitation programs (swimming, hyppo therapy, canis therapy)