Dealing with Learners with Exceptionalities PDF

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Course Title : Facilitating Learner – Centered Teaching Course Code : Prof. Ed. 4 ================================================================ ========================= Learners With Exceptionalities One significant factor that highlights individual differences and diversity in learning is the presence of exceptionalities. We commonly refer to learners with exceptionalities as persons who are different in some way from the normal" or "average". The term "exceptional learners" includes those with special needs related to cognitive abilities, behavior, social functioning, physical and sensory impairments, emotional disturbances, and giftedness. Most of these learners require a lot of understanding and patience as well as special education and related services if they are to reach their full potential of development. As a future teacher, you would probably encounter learners with special needs, more so if special education is your major. It is therefore necessary that you have both the right information and proper attitude in dealing with special learners. This will help you perform your task to facilitate learning. 

Disability. A disability is a measurable impairment or limitation that "interferes with a person's ability, for example, to walk, lift, hear, or learn. It may refer to a physical, sensory, or mental condition" (Schiefelbusch Institute, 1996). The word disability has become the more accepted term, having replaced the word handicap in federal laws in the US, one of which is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the law that provides comprehensive service and support for exceptional learners. The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Sec. 2 uses the word "disabled" in paragraph (5) "Provide adult citizens, the disabled and out-of-school youth with training.”

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Handicap. A handicap is a disadvantage that occurs as a result of a disability or impairment. The degree of disadvantage (or the extent of the handicap) is often dependent on the adjustment made by both the person and his environment. Therefore, the extent to which a disability handicaps an individual can vary greatly. Two persons may have the same disability but not the same degree of being handicapped. For example, they both have a hearing impairment; one knows sign language and can read lips while the other cannot. The first individual would not have as much handicap as the second one. Another example, two persons who move around on a wheel chair, the one studying in a school campus with wheelchair accessibility in all areas would be less handicapped than one in a school without wheel chair accessibility.

CATEGORIES OF EXCEPTIONALITIES I. Specific Cognitive or Academic Difficulties 

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Learning Disabilities. Learning disabilities involve difficulties in specific cognitive processes like perception, language, memory or metacognition that are not due to other disabilities like mental retardation, emotional or behavioral disorders, or sensory impairments. Examples of learning disabilities include dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (number operations) and dysgraphia (writing). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is manifested in either or both of these: (1) difficulty in focusing and maintaining attention and (2) recurrent hyperactive and impulsive behavior Speech and Communication Disorders. There is difficulty in spoken language including voice disorders, inability. to produce the sounds correctly, stuttering, difficulty in spoken language comprehension that significantly hamper classroom performance.

II. Social/Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties   

Autism. Autism is a condition manifested by different levels of impaired social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviors and limited interests. Individuals with autism usually have an intense need for routine and a predictable environment. Mental Retardation. Mental retardation refers to significant sub-average intelligence and deficits in adaptive behavior. There is difficulty in managing activities of daily living and in conducting themselves appropriately in social situations. Emotional/ Conduct Disorders. This involves the presence of emotional states like depression and aggression over a considerable amount of time that they notably disturb learning and performance in school.

III. Physical Disabilities and Health Impairments Physical and health impairments. This involves physical or medical conditions (usually long-term) including one or more of these: (1) limited energy and strength, (2) reduced mental alertness, and/ or (3) little muscle control. Severe and Multiple Disabilities. This refers to the presence of two or more different types of disability, at times at a profound level. The combination of disabilities makes it necessary to make specific adaptations and have more specialized educational programs

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IV. Sensory Impairments Visual Impairments. These are conditions when there is malfunction of the eyes or optic nerves that prevent normal vision even with corrective lenses. Hearing Impairments. These involve malfunction of the error auditory nerves that hinders perception of sounds within the frequency range of normal speech.

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V. Giftedness Giftedness. This involves a significantly high level of cognitive development. There is unusually high ability or aptitude in one or more of these aspects: intellectual ability, aptitude in academic subjects, creativity, visual or performing arts or leadership.

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PEOPLE-FIRST LANGUAGE This language trend involves putting the person first, not the disability (e.g., a person with a disability, not a disabled person). Thus, people first language tells us what conditions people have, not what they are (Schiefelbusch Institute, 1996). This is similar to saying "person with AIDS, rather than "AIDS victim". Other suggestions for referring to those with disabilities include:    

avoiding generic labels (people with mental retardation is preferable to the mentally retarded); emphasizing abilities, not limitations (for instance, uses a wheelchair is preferable to confined to a wheelchair); avoiding euphemisms (such as physically-challenged) which are regarded as condescending and avoid the real issues that result from a disability; and avoiding implying illness or suffering (had polio is preferable to is a polio victim, and has multiple sclerosis is preferable to suffers from multiple sclerosis) (Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2000; Schiefelbusch Institute, 1996).

Using people-first language and applying the guidelines above will remind you to have a more respectful and accepting attitude toward learners with exceptionalities. The presence of impairments requires them to exert more effort to do things that others like us find quite easy to do. They are learners who may turn to you for assistance. Beginning with the right attitude, one of compassion (not of pity nor ridicule), will make you a more effective teacher, one with the hand and the heart who can facilitate their learning and adjustment. ================================================================ =========================...