List three disability categories related to characteristics/needs that you think have important implications for school functioning.
According to the National Centre for Learning Disabilities, learners who have various learning disabilities are twice as likely as their peers to drop out of high school (Video). The likelihood of them dropping out of school is attributed to the fact that they have related characteristics/needs that are worth addressing. Although there is a wide range of disability categories, I believe the following three categories have important implications for school functioning. Speech or language impairments, hearing impairments, and orthopedic impairments are the three disability categories that may have important implications for school functioning. Speech or language impairments are important because any student suffering from this disability can be adversely affected in terms of their ability to read, write and even comprehend classroom lessons (Friend, 2018, 116). As a result, a school will be required to develop strategies that will help such learners achieve desirable academic performance. Hearing impairments are also an important category because they can negatively affect a student’s performance. When a student is deaf, they cannot receive sound in almost all forms hence preventing them from understanding what is being taught. Lastly, orthopedic impairments can also have various implications for a school’s performance because schools will have to devise additional resources to cater for the needs of these children.
List two interventions/accommodations/supports that you think are important for the designated disability category.
For learners with speech or language impairments, On the other hand, students with orthopedic impairments accommodations such as offering special seating arrangements and developing instructions that are focused on helping learners develop fine and gross motor skills can be beneficial. Lastly, learners having hearing impairment needs can be provided with sound amplification systems or be provided with a note-taker who takes written notes on their behalf. According to the video, availing of teaching devices in a classroom allows students with learning disabilities with diverse options of learning according to their pace (Video).
List one ‘bottom line’ idea regarding the designated disability category that you think is most important for you to remember for your work as an educator
One of the important disability categories that is worth remembering is speech or language impairments. The selected idea is important because of students with this need experience a wide range of academic difficulties including organization, academic achievement, and reading. By working as a team, teachers in a special classroom can brainstorm about what works best for a given student (Friend, 2018).
References
Friend, M. (2018). Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School Professionals (5th Ed.). New York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52sT5Euthg4
