1. What is a disability? By: Mrs. Wesson

2. disability dis·a·bil·i·ty (dĭs' ə -bĭl'ĭ-tē) 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.

3. 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.

4. Not all disabilities you can see! Some kids in our school have physical disabilities while other have mental disabilities….some have both! We’ll learn about students with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and emotional disabilities.

6. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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???

12. Sometimes in class you’ll 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!

13. 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 cd’s 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.

14. 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.

16. 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.

18. 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 don’t want to be alone but simply don’t know how to effectively communicate with their peers.

19. Is it fair to take medicine if you’re 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. I challenge you to go out of your way to make new friends this year with someone who isn’t exactly like you. Who knows…you just might make a life-long friend! A little parting inspiration: Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb_tEOk cfds&feature=related