Physical and Health Impairments

 It affects individual's strength and energy, mental alertness and muscle control.

Physical Disability

 Is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina.

 They maybe orthopedic, neuromotor or musculoskeletal impairments.

 Students with physical Disability are struggling to participate in everyday

activities. They cannot move easily from one place to another and their
movement are limited.

Health Impairments

 Is a chronic or acute health problem such that physiological capacity to function

is significantly limited or impaired and results into limited strength, vitality or
alertness including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli resulting in
limited alertness with respect to educational environment.

 This condition affects a student's educational performance.

 Students may be weak, tired or in pain.

 Students with health impairments tend to have more absences due to their
illness.

 One of the best example for this condition is Asthma in which it happens anytime
or anywhere like school or in the classroom. Teachers should especially be
attuned to classroom situations that might endanger the health of the students.
An example for this would be the effect of chalk dust that could trigger to asthma
attack.

Common Physical Disabilities that teachers are likely to encounter:

 Neuromotor impairement- are caused by damage or abnormality of the brain,

spinal cord, or nervous system.

 Cerebral palsy - a neuromotor disorder resulting from brain injury that impairs
movement control. It is caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain as it
develops, most often before birth.

 Spina bifida - a neuromotor impairment of the spinal cord that can limit normal
movement ang cognitive functioning, usually apparent at birth.
  Orthophedic impairments- are those involving the bones or limbs, such as
clubfoot or lack of digit.

 Musculoskeletal disorders- are those that can affect the muscles, tendones,
and nerves. Includes rheumatoid arthritis and bones fractures. All may occur
before birth, during birth, or later in life due to injury or illness.

Health Impairments

 Asthma - a narrowing of the airways that makes breathing difficult.

 Epilepsy - a disorder that causes seizures. Seizure is an abnormal state in which

a person become unconscious and your body moves in an uncontrolled and
violent way.

 ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Major Characteristics of Students with these Disabilities:

1. Although you should never fall into the trap of stereotyping, you should know that the
view of the world of persons with these disabilities, and their interactions with others are
likely to be a bit different from those of people without. They often have unique reactions
to live events.

2. The conditions of Students with physical disabilities may be relatively to more severe.
Different body parts may be affected. Disabilities may be due to Central nervous system
damage or muscle or orthopedic impairment.

3. Students with other health impairments may be weak and sometimes in pain. Lack of
stamina may often be a debilitating factor. They may miss a lot of school due to their
illness.

How to handle learners with physical and health impairments

Since teachers teaches a subject or skill to someone. Educator must also know
how to handle learners especially those learners has Physical Disabilities and has
Health impairments.

So as an educator you should SET UP THE CLASSROOM, you should arrange

classroom properly so that everyone can move around easily. Even if a student
does not use a wheelchair or other medical equipment, he may need extra room
to get around in class and avoid falling. Also give them a LARGER DESK since it
may help the students to balance books, papers and Classroom supplies. This
larger table can accommodate a paraprofessional, too, if she is in class with the
student. You should also ask the student where he would prepare to sit in the
classroom.

TEACHING STRATEGIES to educate children with physical disabilities include

setting up a BUDDY SYSTEM so that another student can take note for the
Student with disability. A par educator may be needed to act as a scribe for other
in-class requirements. Also SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS can be adjusted or
modified to students too. A student who has difficulty in speaking due to cerebral
palsy may need an alternative presentation format in place of an oral
presentation. Do not assume that the student cannot or does not want to give the
presentation. He may need more time to speak and better attention from his
audience.

TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT HE CAN DO. It well help to identify a

student's areas of expertise. The students may have become extremely proficient
with the computer, for instance due to the inability to write. Perhaps he can share
that knowledge with the class or show his peers how he use assistive technology
to access the computer. This can provide ways to incorporate computer
instruction into a lesson.

Educator must BE FLEXIBLE AND ACCEPT SUGGESTIONS. Since most

schools or districts employ inclusion specialists, they can provide you with
specific guidance in teaching students with physical disabilities. Necessary
accommodations or modifications in your classroom can facilitate learning, no
matter the impairment.