Spina Bifida

1) How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws?
Spina Bifida is a neural tube birth defect, is the improper closure of the protective tissue surrounding the spinal cord. It results in limited neurological control for organs and muscles controlled by nerves that originate below the level of the lesion.
2) What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (This would include cognitive, social, emotional, physical, as well as levels of functioning.)
About 80% of children with Spina Bifida face learning issues. Their verbal skills and intelligence are usually higher than non-verbal skills. Their reading and spelling are usually higher while math skills are generally lower. They also face problems such as, poor eye-hand skills, language comprehension issues, language expression issues, shorter attention spans, hyperactivity, sequencing and organizing issues, and decision making difficulties. In adapting the school setting for the child with spina bifida, architectural factors should be considered. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that programs receiving federal funds make their facilities accessible.

3) If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic support as well as social support.
As a teacher I would have this child practice activities that use eye-hand skills to increase their visual perception. I would make a point to discuss the material read, watched, or worked on in class to enhance memory and verbal skills. I will give my students the opportunity to make their own choices and afterwards discuss the right and wrongs of the decision. This will enhance the child’s decision making abilities. I will stick with a daily schedule which will increase the child’s organization skills. It is important that the child is placed in a comfortable and assessable seating area, where the teacher is able to get to this child in case of any difficulties.
4) What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (This would include websites, agencies, people within the school; a two to three line description is required for each resource.)
As a teacher I could help the child stay organized, seat them where they are not easily distracted, repeat things more than once, take time for one-on-one instruction with the child, ect. I could also provide the student with an assistant supervisor to support the student’s special needs. This individual would sit with the child in the classroom to guide them through their education. There is also a spina bifida association which is the national voluntary health agency working on behalf of people with Spina Bifida and their families through education, advocacy, research and service. The National Spina Bifida Program works on two critical levels - to reduce and prevent Spina Bifida incidence and morbidity and to improve quality-of-life for those living with Spina Bifida. Early intervention is also an option for children with spina bifida who experience learning problems because it can help considerably to prepare them for school.

ADD/ADHD Modifications and Accomodations

If I had a classroom with students who had ADD and ADHD, I would utilize several modifications and accommodations to promote an effective education. Since these children tend to lose focus easily, I will seat the students close to me and away from any area that will distract them. Taking away distractions such as seats near windows and doors will produce a supportive learning environment. If they are closer to me, they will be more likely to pay attention and understand what I am teaching. Another accommodation I will make for the students is giving extra time from them to take tests. They lose concentration faster then most kids so this is a necessary task. By providing extra time, they will be able to demonstrate their knowledge like all other students. Something else I would do within my classroom is finding time for these students to be active, either through running errands or setting a time for them to burn energy each day. Working off this energy excess allows them to focus on their school work. Along with this, it is important to give constant feedback and praise on all work, achievements and good behavior. Students with ADD and ADHD thrive off of this and want to do more if they know they will be rewarded. Something else that is effective is using activities that keep kids involved, such as hands on activities. This lets students constantly participate in the lessons. As a teacher, another accommodation I would make sure I keep all assignments, homework, and class work brief and clear so they understand the directions of each. If they work is too much or to difficult to understand it will not get finished. Lightening the work load is not harming the child but making them succeed. The final accommodation I would use in my classroom is making all or most of the challenging subjects in the beginning of the day. After lunch, these students will be extremely hyper and active. They will need to do work that is less demanding and more engaging in the afternoon. All of these accommodations will help make for a better classroom environment.