1 Children with Special Needs Chapter 23 Page 618

2 Children differ in rate, pattern and degree of their growth Developmental milestones are generally attained within each stage Typical development – most children attain them within the same stage

3 Special Needs Special needs differs from most children Delays are often caused by disability or disorder Differ in seeing, hearing, motor skills, speech, thinking and social behaviors

4 Developmental Differences are seen between Children with Special Needs & other Children 1) child can have special needs in one area or more than one area 2)skills may be accelerated or delayed in rate of appearance or may not follow the typical pattern of development

5 3) test results report the degree of a talent or problem Descriptive words use: Borderline– talent is just above average or a mild problem Profound – talent as extreme or a problem as severe

6 4) problem (not talent) may be described as chronic or correctable Chronic – problem may exist for a long time, perhaps a lifetime Correctable –problem may be overcome with appropriate support

7 Children are More Alike Than Different All children have same basic needs Physical care, adults to rely on, and love Special needs require care that differs or exceeds the care required by other children Special needs follow the same pattern of development

8 Children with special needs may develop at a different rate than other children Speed of development may be different

9 Gifted or Talented Children Develop faster or achieve higher degrees of development than most

10 Some special needs noted at birth (physical disabilities Impairments, disabilities and disorders may take some time to become apparent

11 IQ –intelligence quotient – measure how quickly a person can learn, how able a person is to reason using words and number and how easily a person can find solutions to a problem

12 Tests are more accurate when given to only one person at a time More accurate when given in middle childhood or later More accurate when children have the ability to remember, reason, comprehend, respond verbally, make patterns and work puzzles

13 Children with Gifts and Talents Show high performance in one or more: General mental ability Specific academic aptitude Creative or productive thinking leadership ability High skill in visual or performing arts High psychomotor ability

14 statistics 16 of 100 children are above average 3 of 16 are gifted Why gifted? Runs in families environment

15 Children with Physical Disabilities Limitation of a person’s body or its function Limited mobility, missing limbs, bone, joint, and muscle disease, damage to brain or nervous system

16 May need special aids; Artificial limbs, walkers, crutches, braces or wheelchairs

17 Visually Impaired Problems with seeing Some can be corrected with eyeglasses Some severe; legally blind (level of vision loss that make them eligible to receive certain services

18 Signs of vision loss; Squinting, holding objects close to the face, and rubbing the eyes often Having poor distance judgment –Missing steps –Bumping into objects –Self stimulation play ( rocking movements & noises)

19 Hearing Loss Signs: Unresponsive to sounds Making speech sounds incorrectly Major delays in talking Use their sense of touch more than other children

20 Children with Speech Disorders Speak in ways that draw attention Not easily understood Cause the speaker to have a poor self- concept

21 Speech Impaired Problems Articulation –Use one sound for another –Leave out sounds Voice problem –Too high or too low pitch –Too quiet, nasal, husky Rhythm problems –Repeat sounds and unable to get speech out –Speak rapidly

22 Children with speech problems can get help from : Speech pathologist – professional trained to evaluate and treat speech problems

23 Children with Mental Disabilities Defined as: Having intellectual abilities that, when compared with others of the same age, are a year or more delayed Mild to profound Causes include: –Gene disorders, prenatal and birth problems, injuries or infections to the brain after birth

24 Many Share the Following Signs: Delays in motor skills Smaller vocabulary and shorter sentence length Grasp of simple but not complex ideas Avoidance of difficult tasks

25 Short attention spans More than average fondness for repetition Difficulty making decisions

26 Because the brain is involved: Needs to be diagnosed and treated early in life Windows of opportunity for brain wiring close rather early in life

27 Need specialized teachers Must use innovated methods to break skills down into steps the children can practice

28 Learning Disabilities Problems in one or more areas of spoken or written language, math, and spatial orientation Spatial orientation – ability to see relationships between object in space

29 Dyslexia – learning disability that affects a person’s ability to read, write and spell Reverse words & letters More boys than girls ??find an activity Developmental dyscalculia – affects a child’s mathematical ability Involves math not reading

30 Causes of Learning Disabilities Physical problems Prenatal problems – lack of oxygen Problems during birth Accidents, high fevers, and breathing or nutritional problems after birth

31 Used to be it was recognized at school Now it is recognized earlier Greater awareness made better help available

32 Children with Behavioral Disorders Pattern of problems that surfaces in a person’s behavior Marked by extreme behavior Causes: Severe and constant stress Brain injuries

33 Aggressive behavior – an outward behavioral disorder Name-call, fight and bully Withdrawn behavior – occurs when children do not relate well with others Resist change, panic when change occurs, poor self concept

34 Two Related Disorders Dealing with Paying Attention ADHD – lack of attention and hyperactivity Hard to diagnose Based on observation Childhood anxiety & depression ADD – lack of attention Hard to diagnose Based on observation Childhood anxiety & depression

35 Boys more affected to attention disorders Some say 10% have it While others say it is more like 1% to 3%

36 Techniques to Help With Attention Disorders Restricting stimuli (fewer items to see or hear) Establishing and adhering to a routine Giving short, clear instructions Using praise and rewards

37 Providing experiences that are challenging but manageable Offering physical activities Watching diet, especial food coloring Giving medications to calm hyperactivity

38 Medications Given without observations has flaws: 1) First treatment tried 2) Medications have side effects 3) Frustrated adults may view drugs as a way to control children who have high energy levels but don’t really need medication

39 Help For Children with Special Needs Identify child with special needs May be noticed at birth or later in life May take parents time to adjust to the news

40 How Many Children Have Special Needs? 1 child in 10 has special needs 3.5 % have speech disorders 3 to 45% have learning disabilities State laws pay a role States differ in definitions

41 What Kinds of Help Are Needed? Require extra help Brain research shows help needs to be early and intensive Laws require public schools to education special needs from ages 3 to 17 Require an IEP –individualized education plan

42 IEP Suited for the child Placement agreements Inclusion – full time placement in a regular classroom Parents, teachers, case workers meet to discuss child and plan