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.
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.
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.
2 comments:
To implement a child with this disorder in a general education classroom, I would use various strategies to make their education experience the best possible. I would have the child do activities similar to what Megan suggested. I would have the child with Spina Bifida practice various activities that use hand-eye coordination to increase their visual perception. To enhance memory and verbal skills I would make sure to discuss the material read or watched in class thoroughly to the students. I would also go over anything worked on in class (worksheet, class activity) to enhance these skills as well. These accommodations would not only be benefitial for the child with Spina Bifida, but will benefit other students as well. I would also keep a daily schedule in the classroom to increase the child’s organization skills. This would make sure the schedule is clear to them, and they can get into the habit of the daily routine. It would also be beneficial if the student is seated away from distractions since children with Spina Bifida sometimes face hyperactivity and shorter attention spans. This would also mean that I would incorporate multisensory teaching in the classroom. This would have all students be actively engaged, grabbing their attention and not have them be restricted to their chair and desk. I would make sure that I would clearly and slowly explain activities and information discussed in class. I would include a variety of examples for explanations of what we are discussing in class, and try to show hands-on examples where possible so the child’s comprehension can be enhanced. I would incorporate activities that will work on the child’s hand-eye coordination (gradually- take it one step at a time). In the classroom, however, I believe the first step to giving this child the best general education experience possible, would be to make them feel welcome and comfortable in the classroom. I create a good classroom environment, and get the students into a routine that they will become accustomed to. This will help the child for later in life by working on organization skills and decision making. I would give the students the opportunity to make their own choices in the classroom, and I will discuss with them the rights or wrongs of their choice. If it will benefit the child’s education experience I would also see if in the classroom there could be an ICS teacher if the child needs anymore assistance- even if it is in the beginning which would be the hardest part- adjusting to the classroom and introducing the skills we will be working on.
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