Teaching Strategies for People with Developmental DisabilitiesHealth Education

Developmental Disability – a severe chronic state that is present before 22 years of age and is likely to continue indefinitely

• May be caused by either a mental or a physical impairment of by a combination of the two

• The individual has substantial limitations in at least three of the following major life activities:▫Self-care▫Receptive and expressive language learning▫Mobility▫Self-direction▫Capacity for independent living▫Economic self-sufficiency

1975 – Public Law (PL) 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children’s Act, mandated state grant money be made available to provide all children with disabilities with a free and appropriate public education

1986 – PL 99-457 – amended the earlier law to provide special funding for educating all eligible pre-school children with disabilities, ages 3-5, to help states develop early intervention programs for infants and toddlers (birth-2), and to require states to use qualified providers of special education and related services.

• Nurses must acquire sensitivity to family issues and learn to be flexible in their approaches to meet the intellectual, emotional, and medical concerns of clients with special needs.

• When planning a teaching intervention, keep in mind the client’s developmental stage, not his or her chronological stage.

• If the child does not communicate verbally, the nurse should note whether certain nonverbal cues, such as gestures, signing, or other symbols, are used for communication purposes.

• Most mentally retarded children are incapable of abstract thinking.

• Concrete examples must be given• Facial expression and voice tone are more important than the

words spoken• Lavish any positive behavior with great praise.• Keep the information simple, concrete, and repetitive.• Be careful not to dominate any teaching session• Show what is to be done, rather than relying on verbal

commands• Give only one direction at a time