Effects of Disabilities in the Classroom Education Term Paper

Effects of Disabilities in the Classroom
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Effects of Disabilities in the Classroom
Question 1: Characteristics of Disability Categories and their Manifestation in Classrooms
Fragile X syndrome
Children living with fragile X syndrome may experience a range of health and behavioral characteristics. Physically, children who suffer from the condition manifest flat feet, large prominent ears, and long face (Carette, De Schauwer, & Geert, 2018). The other notable characteristics include hyper-extensible joints, especially the fingers, low muscle tone, and males having large testes after puberty. These children can also manifest cognitive and behavioral characteristics that may inhibit their ability to learn. For instance, fragile X syndrome is characterized by intellectual disabilities that can range from mild to severe depending on the child, attention deficit and hyperactivity, unstable mood and anxiety, and autistic behaviors such as the inability to maintain eye contact (Zaidi & Ali, 2017). The other notable characteristics include seizures that affect 25% of the children diagnosed with fragile X syndrome, speech delay, and sensory integration problems. All the above characteristics are manifested with variations in different children.
Some of the characteristics mentioned above can be manifested in classroom settings. While in classes, children are expected to limit their activity to the instructions given by the teacher. However, children who suffer from attention deficit can barely pay attention to the instructions (Carette, De Schauwer, & Geert, 2018). The teacher can also note that the child is unable to concentrate on specific tasks for longer durations. Such children also find it challenging to participate in team activities. They are loners who require continuous directions to execute the intended roles. Another distinctive characteristic of such children is their inconsistency while participating in physical activities. Some of them may need guidance to execute tasks such as writing, drawing, or clapping (Zaidi & Ali, 2017). Ultimately, such children have speech delay problems that may affect their relationships with other learners as well as limit their participation in class-related activities. The more a child showcases the above characteristics, the higher the chances that he/she has the fragile X syndrome.
Down syndrome
Down syndrome is manifested uniquely among children. People who suffer from this condition are characterized by attributes such as shorter height, poor muscle tone or loose joint, small pinky fingers, a single line across the palm, smaller than usual hands and feet, and tiny white spots on the iris of their eyes. The other characteristics linked to such children include tongues sticking out of their mouths, small ears, short necks, eyes that slant up, and flattened faces. Down syndrome is also characterized by heart defects at birth, eye diseases, ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, and hearing loss. Ultimately, their measure of intelligence ranges from moderately low to very low. The above characteristics may present differently in different children.
A teacher can recognize cases of Down syndrome in a classroom setting bearing such children’s unique characteristics. Primarily, children with that condition cannot concentrate efficiently in classrooms (Vijayalakshmi et al., 2013). Mostly, they are distracted by other occurrences around the classroom. Such children also do not perform well in tests. With their low intelligence, they do not perform as well as their other peers in the same class. They, too, tend to perform poorly in teamwork mostly because they cannot perform at their peers’ pace. Most of them are weak and cannot be active physically as other normal children with whom they share a classroom. Down syndrome also comes with poor hearing abilities (Vijayalakshmi et al., 2013). As such, the children will need hearing aids, or they will require their teachers to be audible enough to grasp any information. A teacher can also be alarmed about Down syndrome if the child consistently suffers from eye illnesses, heart defects, or multiple cases of ear infections. A conclusive diagnosis should be done by a qualified physician.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition manifested by children who bear early alcohol exposure and can bear different characteristics. The characteristics can range from physical defects, cognitive disabilities, and problems in coping with daily activities that can all be evident in learning settings (Attitude, 2016). Some of the physical characteristics associated with the condition include problems with kidneys or bones, heart defects, vision difficulties or challenges with hearing, slow physical growth before and after birth, deformities of joints, and distinctive facial features such as an upturned nose or small eyes. There are also brain and cognitive problems associated with this condition that include rapidly changing moods, hyperactivity, poor judgment skills, difficulty in identifying consequences, difficulty with reasoning, poor memory, and poor coordination (Special Books by Special Kids, 2017). Ultimately, the behavioral or social characteristics associated with fetal alcohol syndrome include difficulty in working towards goals, problems staying on tasks, problems adapting to change, poor social skills, trouble interacting with others, and difficulties in grasping new knowledge.
A teacher can identify a case of fetal alcohol syndrome depending on how much a child manifests some or all of the above characteristics. Children with the condition can hardly concentrate in class (Carette, De Schauwer, & Geert, 2018). As such, they will only participate in activities that span shorter durations. They also fear interacting with other children. That arises because of their low cognitive ability and their inability to compete physically with other children. Such children also have a smaller memory span, which only limits them to grasping knowledge mildly. In lessons where memory tests are involved, such children cannot perform effectively. The other challenges that can alert a teacher about fetal alcohol syndrome include the inability to work toward goals and poor impulse controls. The severity of the condition depends on how much the child showcases the characteristics.
References
Attitude. (2016). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. YouTube. Retrieved from /watch?v=5plu6_L6_lY&ab_channel=Attitude
Carette, L., De Schauwer, E., & Geert, V. H. (2018). “Everywhere we go, people seem to know”: Mad students and knowledge construction of mental illness in higher education. Social Inclusion, 6(4), 207-217. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/si.v6i4.1683
Special Books by Special Kids. (2017). Living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. YouTube. Retrieved from /watch?v=YCg7_aZbchc&ab_channel=SpecialBooksbySpecialKids
Vijayalakshmi, P., Ramachandra, Reddemma, K., & Math, S. B. (2013). Perceived human rights violation in persons with mental illness: Role of education. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 59(4), 351. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1368994833?accountid=130654
Zaidi, A., & Ali, A. Z. (2017). Embracing mental illness: Do education and contact make any difference in help-seeking intention among Pakistani students? Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 20(7), 679-695. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2017.1390736
Question 2: Definition of Concepts
Presumption of Competence
Presumption of competence is a concept that is commonly used to define the possibility of including autistic children in learning programs. The term “presumption of competence” is used to imply the assumptions that people instill while concluding that an autistic person bears the capacity to understand, think, and learn even when there is no evidence to support the assumptions (Nevison & Blaxill, 2017). Within such a concept, educators can assume that autistic children only need the right support systems to help them succeed and not that such children are inherently incapable. While developing the...