People with Special Needs

Presented by:Kristin Bennett

S.E.R.T. Facilitator

• Objectives• Blindness• Deaf and Hard of Hearing• ADHD/ODD• Down Syndrome• Autism

Agenda

I have been successful today if people leave this workshop with a greater understanding of people with disabilities and feel they are better equipped with how to successfully integrate them into the church community

Objective

Blind and Low vision

Legal Blindness Blindness Low Vision

Visual impairments are further classified as congenital or adventitious. Congenital refers to loss of vision present at birth. Some of the more

common causes of congenital visual impairment are: prematurity; genetic diseases; prenatal and perinatal infections; and maternal substance abuse. Adventitious refers to loss of vision acquired after birth as a result of illness

or accident.

Blind and visually impaired

Blind and Visually Impaired

Vision loss can be caused by eye problems that are present from birth, by conditions that appear later in life, or by infections or environmental factors.

Sample Eye conditions include: Glaucoma: Cataracts Floaters and flashing lights Retinal Detachment Retinal Vein Occlusion Macular degeneration

Activity

Strategies to Support• Physical environment• Unfamiliar environments• Lighting conditions• Drop offs• Surface changes• Doors and windows• Movement within the

church- to the right• Use of the white cane• Fire Drills• Tactile• Use of Black and Yellow• Use tactile objects

• Verbalize praise• Use descriptive language• Encourage student to look

right at you• Use a normal tone of voice• Ok to say “look” or “see”• Location of materials• Contrast corners and stairs• Introduce yourself and

others to familiarize them with your voice

• Seating- if right eye stronger, should sit on left side

• Think of a lesson you have taught-• List ways you would change it if you had a person

who was blind or low vision in your class

Part 2• In your groups discuss how you could go back to

your church and change the physical environment to better suit someone who is blind or has low vision

Your Turn

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

What’s it Like?

How successful were you at lipreading?

What helped make lipreading easier?

What does this show about lipreading?

Lipreading

• lipreading is not easy• a lot of guesswork is involved• most people have some ability to lip-read• some people are better at it than others• some people are easier to lipread than others• it is impossible to lipread unless the speaker's mouth and

face are clearly visible• some words look alike on the lips, so single words are very

difficult to lipread colloquial expressions may be difficult to lipread rhythm and knowledge of the topic helps

Lip Reading

• the person lipreading must be looking at the speaker• the speaker's mouth, jaw and eyes must be clearly visible, that

is: adequate light on face of speaker the speaker should be within adequate range and facing

towards lipreader not obstructed by hands, books, cigarettes, food or other

impediments eyes not hidden behind dark glasses• use sentences rather than single words • give clues to the subject of conversation• speak a little slower than usual, keeping the normal rhythm of

speech• if you are not understood, try rephrasing the sentence• speak clearly (but don't overemphasise mouth movements)

How to make Lip Reading easier

• Most prevalent disability- 1 in 6 adults have hearing loss• Called the invisible disability• Classifed in categories from slight hearing loss to profound

hearing loss measured by the level in decibals• Caused by a problem with one or more parts of the ear due

to: Ear not formed properly at birth

middle ear fluidserious infections, such as meningitishead injurylistening to very loud music, especially through headphones or ear budsrepeated exposure to loud sounds, such as

machinery

• Always face the person with an unobstructed face

• Speak clearly but with regular tone ie don’t over emphasize

• Buddy system• FM system• Provide repetition and context• Ensuring the child feels comfortable and

encourage them to advocate for themselves

Strategies

ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

There are 3 types of ADHD• Hyperactive -Impulsive• Inattentive• Combined

What is ADHD?

1. Use cuing procedures2. Use careful directions3. Have consistent routines 4. Optimize seating arrangements5. Stimulate towards attention6. Reinforce task Initiation7. Promote sustained Task focus8. Vary length and tasks9. Adjust pacing10. Promote organization and plannine

Top 10 strategies for Students with ADHD- Inattention

1. Clarify behavioural needs of child2. Have clear rules and expectations3. Use consistent routines4. Give preferential seating5. Provide frequent praise and feedback6. Use planned ignoring7. Provide Prudent Reprimands8. Utilize Negative consequences9. Plan for transitions10.Have clear communication between church and

school

Top 10 strategies for adhd- Impulsiveness/Hyperactivity

Oppositi

onal

Defi

ant

Disor

der

• Frequent temper tantrums• Excessive arguing with adults• Often questioning rules• Active defiance and refusal to comply with adult

requests• Deliberate attempts to annoy or upset people• Blaming others for his or her mistakes or misbehaviour• Often touchy or easily annoyed by others• Frequent anger or resentment• Failure to learn from experience• Rigid approach to challenge- will shut down or answer “I

don’t know”• Spiteful attitude and revenge seeking

Characteristics

1. Recognize the student needs individual attention and encouragement

2. When in a group- deal with the child subtly3. Structure conference time4. Work with student to develop reasonable description of behaviour

and ways to deal with it5. Choose your battle6. Be creative in brainstorming consequences to use when the time

necessitates7. Let child feel power in positive way8. Be prepared: for transitions, topics/activities that cause anxiety9. Look for an opportunity to turn the conversation positive10.Use humour11.Provide a physical outlet12.Don’t be dictorial and avoid behaviours that add to power struggles

ODD teaching Strategies

Down Syndrome

What do you know about Down syndrome?

Speech impairments of a child with Down syndrome

• Also known as trisomy 21• Extra genetic material affects the way a

child develops physically and mentally• About 1 in 800 births• How it affects each child varies greatly• Physical features• Hypotonia• Delays in speech and self care skills• Learn differently and at slow pace• Medical problems

What is Down Syndrome?

Accommodation Checklist