Intellectual Disability and Defining Intelligence

June 12, 2012Leave a comment

Intellectual Disability has historical been defined as an IQ under 70, but where does the 70 arrive from. The following addresses issues surrounding the meaning and measurement of intelligence. It identifies issues and proposes solutions.

Defining Intellectual Disability

Intelligence means “the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests): mental acuteness” (Merriam-Webster, 2006). This means in order to arrive at any number a persons brain is challenged to remember things, to code things, to build things, and in general to manipulate things. Intelligence comes in a wide range of areas, which leads us directly to some of the problems with defining intelligence.

Intelligence Meaning Issues:

Finding a universal definition. There are so many variations of intelligence. Are the correct one’s being tested?
How to test. Each individual is different. Some are great with the two person environment, yet others might need something else to show their true potential.
Does test accommodate the child’s abilities/disabilities? Some people have a hard time fully expressing any of the great things going on in their mind.
Is the definition reliable enough to be used for children’s placement. Just how accurate of a picture are we getting?

Possible Solutions:

Intelligence should be defined in a more universal manor
Tests should be used as an aide with other information collected on the child
More than one test in each domain using different mediums should used

Challenges of Those with an Emotional Disability

May 9, 2012Leave a comment

There are many issues that arise while working with children an emotional disability, but these children are a part of the classroom and our lives, so it is important to come up with a plan for success. Children with an emotional disability are individuals like all children, so each child will be different and should be treated as such. It is important to evaluate the individual child and come up with the best game plan.

Some issues to look for can be:

impulsive behaviors
irrational decision making
poor social skills
blurting out inappropriate comments
lack of attention in children with emotional and behavioral disorders.
not easily being able to transition from one activity to another
yelling instead of talking
use of inappropriate language like swear words
unable to sit still can often be found in children with emotional and behavioral disorders
staying on task
rude/crude behaviors and actions toward others and themselves
tunnel vision fixation

In order to help these children succeed, try:

Use of good multidisciplinary techniques can get help children overcome these behaviors
have children work with their peers to come up with a game plan and hear new ideas
behavior point system with reward
time out room if needed
constant praise to reinforce good behavior
make goals minimal so they can feel success
basic pacing of activities
one to two step directions

Children with an emotional disability can have difficulty in school and at home. By using a couple of the techniques listed above, children can get the help necessary to succeed within the classroom and home environments.

Dance Therapy: Helping Individuals Connect

May 3, 20121 Comment

Educational Purpose of Dance Therapy:

Promote social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development
Improve mental health through a healthy body
Increase self-discipline, cooperation, and confidence
Develop cultural understanding

Activities of Dance Therapy:

This is used for self-expression, communication, and group interaction
The teacher needs an understanding of (not a mastery in) energy, weight, time, tension, space, and flow
Children will need an open area to dance in as well as comfortable clothes to move around in. To accommodate this in the classroom, a limited number of children can dance while others engage in a related activity
Ask “what” questions that evoke the children interpretation

Assessment/Accommodations:

Muscle tension and rigid movements can be a sign of stress and emotional triggers by physically getting these out it will help the mental state
Teachers can grade how this technique is working by student’s cooperation and how the class dynamics are before and after

Music Therapy: How Music Can Work to Improve Lives

Art Therapy Working With Emotional Disabilities

Physical and Health Impairments: The Facts

April 25, 2012April 24, 20123 Comments

Definition:

Both physical and health impairments are considered disabilities when they interfere with education and other daily living. Physical impairments include those caused by congenital abnormality impairments caused by disease and impairments from other causes. Health impairments include disease and/or chronic illness.

Causes:

With so many different conditions under the category of Physical and health impairments, there are also lots of diverse causes. C.P. and Spina Bifida can be caused by abnormal brain growth. Some other disorders are caused genetically, the result of an injury, poisoning, hormonal abnormalities, while some are still unknown.

Characteristics:

It is important to find out what is the underlying disease or disorder that causes the physical and/or health impairment in or to truly define the characteristics. Some characteristics can include adaptive equipment, limited movement, shortened endurance, and extra medical needs.

School Approach:

For children with physical and health impairments or traumatic brain injury, they might need slightly different support from the teacher. They often need an interdisciplinary team of professionals to aid in all of their special needs. For example, a student may need a physical therapist to work on their gross motor goals, an occupational therapist to work on fine motor and self-help skills, and a speech therapists to work on any difficulty with language. To help the students become more self-competent, the teachers and therapist(s) can help the child learn to take care of their own special medical needs. Although students with physical disabilities, health impairments, and traumatic brain injury may need a larger interdisciplinary team, it is important to note that, forty-five percent of students with physical and/or health impairments are educated in a regular classroom. It is important for the student’s special needs instructors or regular education teachers to account for the child’s needs and keep the environment open for wheelchairs and/or any other medical device that the child may have. It is also important to keep the child comfortable in their learning environment, so that they can focus on their education. This includes prioritizing safety and using assistive technology when possible to better accommodate the child’s needs.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Quick Break Down

April 20, 2012Leave a comment

Definition of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

A chronic condition where the emotional and behavioral responses differ from age, cultural, or ethnic norms to such a degree that educational performance is adversely affected.

Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

There is a wide range of suspected causes for Behavioral and Emotional discords. They include biological disorders like abnormal brain growth or injury to the brain, genetic link to the disorder, or a biological temperament that predisposes the child to Behavioral and Emotional discords or the disorder could be caused by more Environmental factors.

Characteristics of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Emotional and behavioral disorders can be exhibited in out burst or other destructive external actions. They can also be internal, such as eating disorders, depression, or other self-destructive behaviors.

Schooling for Those with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

When a child has emotional and behavioral disorders, they normally spend part of the day in a regular classroom and the other with a resource teacher or self-contained classroom. It is important for all of their teachers to be on the same page, so that the child has a clear distinction of right and wrong and the consequences and rewards that will come of each. Often it is ideal for a school to have a school wide positive reinforcement system. These often provide clearly defined rules and consequence punishments. Another good strategy for teachers is to implement self-management teaching programs, such as self-monitoring and self-evaluation. By children learning to monitor themselves, they can learn to control their behavior and emotions. Often peer mediation and support can help a child learn appropriate social skills as they learn to work with one another. It is important for children with emotional and behavioral disorders to learn to cooperate, manage stress, control anger, handle name-calling, and problem solve . With all of these added expectations for a teacher to convey to a child with emotional and behavioral problem, it is also important that the teacher continually challenge children academically, so that they do not fall behind and can become more confident in their academic abilities.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Definitions and Challenges

Emotional Behavioral Disorders Quick Fact Sheet

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.

Category: Disabilities