Lindsay Baczkowski, Marcela Mora, and Carlyn Vautin

Hypothesis Special needs children can be integrated into the classroom with proper knowledge, supervision, and aid.

What are special needs?

Special needs is an umbrella term. There can be serious or mild mental disabilities, allergies or illness, psychiatric problems, or developmental delays. Mental/Cognitive, Health/Physical, and Behavioral

Cognitive/Mental
Special Needs

Asperger's Syndrome
Pervasive developmental disorder (delays in basic skills), similar to autism but more common The cause is unknown, but may be hereditary Usually diagnosed between the years of 2-6 Cannot be prevented or cured

Symptoms to Watch For

Bad social skills: difficulty interacting with peers, cannot carry a conversation Eccentric or repetitive behaviors, such as wringing his/her hands Unusual preoccupations, may develop strict rituals

Symptoms to Watch For

Cannot communicate, little eye contact, misuse of gestures Limited interests- may obsess over one area of interest Bad coordination, seems clumsy Highly skilled in one area, an exceptional talent

Treatment
While there is no Asperger's medication, one can take medication for symptoms (anxiety, depression, and OCD) Therapy: (physical, speech, or occupational) Behavior modification strategies can be implemented to support positive behavior Special Education

 ADD and ADHD A neurobiological condition in which low attention and concentration and high impulsivity and distractibility become inappropriate Normally signs are seen before age 7, but tricky to tell as young children are naturally fidgety While some children are hyperactive, others with ADD/ADHD are spacey and unmotivated

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

What Does ADHD Look Like?

Classroom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgklMmsJ Ryo Signs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puCX3LwH j7A

Symptoms to Watch For

Inattention: Little attention to details, easily distracted, appears not to listen when spoken to, difficulty remembering things and following instructions, disorganized and loses work, gets bored with a task before its completed Hyperactivity: Constantly squirming, leaves his/her seat, goes against the rules, talks excessively, always on the go, difficulty playing quietly and staying still, quick temper

Symptoms to Watch For

Impulsivity: acts without thinking, blurts out answers, cant wait in line, often interrupts others, guesses rather than solves, inability to keep emotions in check (temper tantrums)

Treatment
Medication can be prescribed (common prescriptions are Vyvanse, Adderall, and Ritalin) but many parents disagree with this option Therapy and counseling can help children with ADD/ADHD
Behavior therapy Psychotherapy Parenting Skills Social Skills Training

Sensory Integrative Dysfunction

Sensory integration is the inability to take in information from the senses Bad neural processing of senses can lead to traffic jams in the brain, and signals can get mixed up Dysfunction can be detrimental to a childs development This can lead to the development of a poor self concept, and make it difficult for he/she to work with others

Symptoms to Watch For

Attention and Regulatory problems
The child can inhibit nonessential sensory information, and is considered distractible Always on alert, he/she notices sounds like a fan or fridge that other people tune out, or is unresponsive to stimuli

Sensory Defensiveness
fight, flight, or fright Highly aroused nervous system that does not distinguish between harmful and not harmful stimuli

Symptoms to Watch For

Activity Levels
Disorganized, does not explore, has poor balance, difficulty calming oneself, seeks excessive sensory input

Behavior
Everything in extremes

Treatment
Integrate therapy and play
Getting sensory input is important Swinging on a swing or climbing the monkey bars can help a child focus and develop further

Practice basics: practice putting on socks, tying a shoe, and fastening a button

Treatment
Children with SPD get discouraged easily, so give them extra encouragement Focus on the child: each has individual needs
Identify what makes him/her feel good and give the child opportunity to experience it

Tourette's Syndrome
A neurological disorder illustrated through involuntary sporadic body movements and sounds It is inherited Psychological factors can influence its severity In a few cases, these vocalizations can include curse words (called coprolalia)

Symptoms to Watch For

Eye blinking Repeated throat clearing Arm thrusting Kicking movements Shoulder shrugging Jumping

Treatment
Creating a safe, comfortable environment at school and at home is key in coping with this disorder There is no cure for Tourette's, but medicine can decrease tics Counseling can be helpful as well if the tics are impacting the childs daily life more than expected Behavior therapies are another option as well, such as habit reversal

Individualized Education Program

IEP An IEP helps a child who has a disability reach all their educational capabilities Tailored to fit each child, each must go through an IEP evaluation process to help teachers further understand their disability

Individualized Education Program

An IEP assesses the disability as a well, the curriculum, and develops goals for the child to reach depending on his or her learning development The goal is to be in the least restrictive environment possible It must be maintained through high school and updated when necessary

Triggers and Cues

As teachers, be aware of the signs Any words, sounds, or gestures that signal distress should be picked up immediately Each are specific to the child, and develop their own cues to trigger events, letting adults who spend time with them consistently to become aware there is a problem
Such cues can be becoming ill, sweating, gestures, expressions, becoming withdrawn or irritable, or having a tantrum

Triggers and Cues

Providing support and attention to these triggers is the key to keeping the child in control and safe at all times Parents, teachers, and doctors need to communicate and share information about triggers on a regular basis, because each see the child at different situations Some children will need special training to develop control (learnt through their IEP) so the child can respond appropriately in times of stressful conditions
Adults should still be aware the child will respond with less self control at such times of stress

Children With Emotional/Behavioral Special Needs

Children With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Display behavior that is not typical for children their age Disorders can be external or internal 1 in 5 children suffer from an emotional/behavioral disorder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ_fOQ gTado

Types
External disorders - Children display verbal and physically aggressive behaviors - Signs: hitting or fighting others, yelling or cursing, stealing, lying, destroying personal property, not following directions, unexpectedly getting up from seat, refusal to respond to teacher - As result, children are often excluded from peers - ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), bipolar disorder, O.C.D (obsessive compulsive disorder)

Types-Continued
Internal disorders - Not seen as a threat to peers - Seen as antisocial for extreme lack of social interaction - Examples: depression, anxieties/fears, anorexia

Relationships
Negatively impacted- lower levels of empathy for others, low participation in curricular activities, and often lack quality relationships External- behaviors of aggression often causes rejection from peers out of fear Internal- distance themselves from peers and become antisocial Lack of interaction can severely impede social development skills

Causes
No known causes Many identified causes can be traced back to childs family Child is more at risk if he if she encounters abuse, lack of discipline, family history of mental illness, and were exposed to drugs as a fetus

Academic Achievement
Negatively impacted Most children are one or more years below grade level in competency exams Deficiencies in math and reading Recent studies have shown - Lowest attendance rate of any group of students - 20-25% of these students graduate from high school

Mainstream into Classroom

Contact childs parents and school psychologist to make them aware of the situation and discuss treatment options Brainstorm ways to integrate the child into everyday classroom activities (partnership between parents, student, psychologist, and teacher) Instruction is individualized to the student because every case is unique (integration techniques are unique not universal for each student) Develop short and long term goals for the student that are reevaluated regularly for reinforcement Expectations of the student remain high and equal to other students in the class

Target Behavior Stay seated at desk Raise hand before speaking in large group Stay on task

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

My goal is to get 2 checks per day. Parent signature_______________________

Resources
http://www.localhealth.com/article/behavioral-disorders http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/information_and_resources/in fo_to_go/educate_children_(3_to_21)/students_with_disabilities/em otionalbehavioral_disorders.html http://www.education.com/reference/article/children-emotionalbehavioral-disorders/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ_fOQgTado

Physical Disabilities

The strongest people arent always the people who win, but the people who dont give up when they lose - Ashley Hodgeson

http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=YPafVblB xj4

What is it?
Affects mobility or dexterity Permanent intermittent temporary

Causes
Congenital factors Trauma/accident Infection Degeneration Disease Chronic medical condition

Types
Paralysis Amputation Spinal injury Arthritis Cerebral Palsy Multiple Sclerosis Muscular Dystrophy Post-polio Syndrome Spina Bifida Motor Neurone Disease

Treatment in Classroom
Assistive Technology Going to and from Class In class: Facilitate Learning and success Out-of-class

Strategies
Ensuring acceptance Making allowances for students fatigue Ensuring safe and accessible environment Provide understanding and interaction Provide time for reteaching Provide alternative methods of evaluation Engage peers Ensure opportunities for involvement

How it affects relationships

Challenges
Internalize anger/frustration Stress and Depression Parents depressive symptoms Discrimination Accessibility

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Attaching meaning from experiences Memorable Unique positive Interaction with peers

With special instruction, IEPs, and watching out for triggers and cues, special needs children can be mainstreamed into the classroom to be with their peers.

Questions!
What is not a symptom of Tourettes? A.Kicking B.Jumping C.Eye blinking D.Staying still

Resources
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs _symptoms.htm http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mentalhealth-aspergers-syndrome?page=2 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adhd/DS00275/ DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/fall97/sensory.htm http://www.muhlenberg.edu/careercenter/emplgui de/cognitive.html http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/ specpop_general.aspx http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/the _irish_education_system/special_education.html

Conclusion