©cengage learning. all rights reserved. chapter 6 understanding children with ability differences

©Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 6

Understanding Children with

Ability Differences


Why study different ability levels?

• By knowing about different ability levels we are prepared to…– Notice a child who may need to be referred for

screening– Avoid making offensive and embarrassing

cultural mistakes– Help typically developing children become more

tolerant– Communicate with the families of a child with a

different ability level– Interact successfully with diverse children


Hidden causes of problems

• Some children have undiagnosed special needs

• Some children have endured abuse or have suffered traumatic events that we may never know about

• Be understanding and patient if you don’t understand behavior

Rely on DAP

• Children with differing ability levels need developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)

• They need DAP as much as typically developing children



What do children with different ability levels need?

• Children with different ability levels have as many unique needs as there are children

• Help them interact, learn and play as normally as possible with their typically developing peers

• They need caring, assertive, positive guidance and DAP


Help parents cope• Families learning that their young child has a

different ability level go through a great deal of shock and pain

• All parents need communication and support, but parents of children with different ability levels have special needs and special vulnerabilities

• Patience, understanding and encouragement are especially required for these parents


Help each child feel valued

• Focus on each child’s strengths

• Every child has positive characteristics and assets

• Show unconditional affection to every child every day

• Remember to communicate at eye level, use the child’s name and use appropriate touch


Teach Tolerance

• Teach all of the children how to… – Celebrate differences– Show compassion – Express caring for peers

• Prevent bullying and stigmatizing


Have Fun

• Have a sense of humor

• Make sure that the environment is filled with joy


Welcome Children with different ability levels

• Learn about your legal responsibilities

• Adapt your learning environment to ensure that it invites and supports ALL children in your class


Accommodations

• Special aids provided for persons with different ability levels to provide them access to mainstream activities and environments

• Accommodations can include such things as… – a ramp for a wheelchair– a lowered sink– special door handles– signs written in Braille– a sign language translator – any number of other changes needed to help the person with a

different ability level function equitably


Individuals with different ability levels Education Act (IDEA)

• A law ensuring services to children with different ability levels

• It provides early intervention, special education and related services to eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with different ability levels

• It requires that students be provided a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) preparing them for further education, employment and independent living

• Special education must provide the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which is the environment most like that of typical children in which the child with a different ability level can succeed


Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

• A directive requiring that school districts provide children with different ability levels access to general education as well as specialized educational services to accommodate special needs

• It also requires that children with different ability levels receive support free of charge, the same as is provided to non-differently abled students.


Individualized Education Program (IEP)

• A written plan that describes exactly how teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and the student will work together to improve educational results for the specific child with a different ability level


Red Flags• Parents, teachers, and caregivers should

never attempt to diagnose physical ailments or developmental delays

• They should, however, watch carefully for indications that a child needs further evaluation by a physician or other expert to rule out or confirm physical or psychological problems


Focus on a Few Key Disorders

• In addition to emotional neediness, there are numerous illnesses and physiological conditions that can cause children to behave unproductively

• Early childhood professionals can’t know the names of all possibilities, but should know a few key conditions and terms


Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• A complex biological disorder

• Characterized by… – Inattention– Impulsiveness– Forgetfulness– Poor impulse control– Distractibility– Extremely high levels of physical activity

©2010 Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)

• A group of neurodevelopmental disorders

• Characterized by severe delays in the development of social skills and the ability to communicate with others


Neurodevelopment

• The development of the brain pathways that make the integration of sensory information possible

• These pathways increase in capacity and complexity as children – Play– Learn – Grow


Autism

• A specific PDD developmental brain disorder characterized by – Impaired social interaction and communication

skills– Avoidance of eye-to-eye gaze– A limited range of activities and interests


Mind Blindness

• A brain disorder that impairs one’s ability to “read minds” by noticing – Gestures– Facial expressions – Changes in tone of voice

• An inability to fathom what is in the mind of another person


Asperger’s Disorder

• A disorder with many of the characteristics of autism

• HOWEVER—a child diagnosed with Asperger’s has normal or above average communication and/or cognitive development


Pica

• A peculiar eating disorder in which one compulsively nibbles non-food substances such as – Dirt– Chalk– Paper – Gravel– Leaves – Toy parts


Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

• A group of permanent birth defects caused by a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy

• Alcohol damage to the fetus can cause behavioral and cognitive damage

• No amount of alcohol during pregnancy has been determined to be a safe level


Sensory Integration Dysfunction

• A disorder characterized by the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses


Proprioceptive Sense

• The proprioceptive sense integrates sensory information taken in through the muscles, connecting tissue, skin and joints to signal the brain where one’s body is in time and space

• Proprioception refers to the brain’s unconscious sense of body-in-space

• It is the sense that makes it possible for a person to move his body parts without having to watch the movement to make sure it is happening


Vestibular Sense• One’s vestibular sense serves as one’s

balance system, which, like the proprioceptive sense, provides perception of movement and orientation in space

• The vestibular sense is essential for a person to… – Maintain muscle tone– Coordinate both sides of the body – To hold the head upright against gravity


Learning disability

• Any of various cognitive, neurological, or psychological disorders that interferes with the ability to learn

• Affects the brain's ability to – Receive– Process– Analyze– Store information


Dyslexia

• Cognitive disorder in which a person's reading and/or writing ability is significantly lower than expected given – his exposure to appropriate instruction– his normal intellectual ability – his lack of sensory problems such as poor

eyesight


Oppositional Defiant Disorder

• A disorder in which there is an ongoing pattern of behavior toward authority figures that is…– Uncooperative– Defiant– Hostile

• Behavior seriously interferes with a child’s day-to-day functioning

• The child goes well beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior


Self-regulation• A process by which one manages without

external control• Being able to deal with problems appropriately

and independently• The ability to tolerate the feelings of distress that

accompany an unmet need and focus one’s thoughts, sensations, and actions on the attainment of a goal

• Resisting or delaying gratification; inhibiting impulses and paying attention are all examples of children's self-regulatory (or self-control) skills


Tourette’s Disorder

• A disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics


Motor Tic

• A sudden involuntary muscular contraction—often of the facial, shoulder or neck muscles

• Complex motor tics include distinct, obsessively repeated, intricate actions or behaviors such as… – Twirling– Hopping– Obsessively lining things up in straight rows

• Tics tend to become more pronounced when one is under stress


Vocal Tic

• A sudden involuntary vocalization such as a… – Yip– Whistle– Grunt – Cough– Bark

• A complex vocal tic is a distinct, obsessively repeated phrase or the intricate obsessive use of words, such as repeating everything other people say


Bibliotherapy

• There are many appropriate books about different ability levels that can be used to help children address their curiosity and ease their worrisome feelings such as… – Fear– Anxiety– Apprehension

©cengage learning. all rights reserved. chapter 6 understanding children with ability differences

Documents

children cengage learning

dap children

parents of children

study different ability

understanding children

dap slide

learning environment

differing ability levels