Profesorado de Inglés – Lengua Inglesa III

Term Exam 1 - 2021

1) Read the article below quickly and list the invisible disabilities it mentions on your
answer sheet. (2 marks)
MENTAL HEALTH
Understanding2 Invisible Disabilities
By Robyn Scott
March 18, 2015

Invisible disabilities (IDs) are some of the most difficult

ones9 for educators to identify because they are just that -
- invisible. Students can "hide in plain sight" either
intentionally3 or because they aren't aware that they have
a disability. Some students are fearful, along with their
parents, that they10 won't be accepted to college or that
they will carry a label through the end of 12th grade. The
silent aspect of IDs also makes it difficult for teachers to
learn about their students' needs unless they11 are told
outright4.

An invisible disability is anything that cannot be seen. It12 can be an anxiety disorder, depression that affects a
student's daily life, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or a learning disability that does not easily present itself13. Some
college students choose not to share their disability with their professors or the university because they had a bad
experience in high school. Other times, the student doesn't know that his or her situation qualifies as5 a disability even in
adulthood (most common with clinical depression and anxiety disorders). Students who walk through their academic
career dealing with any disability on their own are left to a great disadvantage6.

Teachers working with ID students in high school are advised to speak to the school psychologist or special
education consultant about the legally correct and ethically appropriate ways to handle working with such a student14. If
the student has not yet been diagnosed but a disability is suspected, any testing should go through the proper channels.
In the past, students with an ID were often told that they were "making it up" or that it was "just in your mind15." This
situation has prevented many ID students from reaching out7, especially if they received their diagnosis closer to
adulthood.

If educators are open to the idea8 that this so-called something "just in your mind" is indeed real, they are well
on their way to successfully helping and understanding such a student. Remember that our brains are the drivers and
our bodies simply the cars following commands. Everything that happens in the brain is real.

2) Now, study the words and phrases 2-15 in the text above. Paraphrase the
underlined words/phrases; make sure that your new version fits the original
text. In addition, say what the words/phrases in bold refer to. Write your answers
on your answer sheet. (1 mark each)
 Profesorado de Inglés – Lengua Inglesa III

Term Exam 1 - 2021

3) These are recommendations for teachers who think they may have a
student with an invisible disability. Group the questions below as either THINK or
THICK questions. Add a new question to each group on your answer sheet (2
marks each).

Is there a diagnosis?
Teachers of minor children should speak with the school psychologist as well as the child's parents to see if there
is any known disability. Going through the proper channels is crucial when handling this type of situation. Always talk to
a school representative before talking with the parent. It's quite possible that there is a mild-to-moderate diagnosis
about which the parents may be able to provide insight.

Respect students’ privacy

Teachers should be ever mindful of a young student's inherent need to fit in. Adults relish the idea of being
special, being set apart from the norm. As adults, we embrace our differences and view most of them as neutral or
positive (with some exceptions, of course). However, if we look back at our own high school yearbooks, we will notice
that we desperately wanted to be the same as our peers.

Students with IDs are faced with being different at every turn. While their contemporaries are focused on
sporting the same hairstyle, students with IDs can spend most of their day trying to hide the fact that their brain works
differently. Any discussion regarding a student's disability should take place far away from friends and peers. Teens love
to listen in on teacher conversations (not out rudeness but because they assume the conversation must be about them).
The student's choice of privacy is paramount.

Recognize periodic episodes

Many IDs come and go in waves, but few educators are made aware of this. This is especially true with anxiety
disorders. Students who have panic attacks may only suffer on Mondays, or during finals week, or when their best friend
is absent. Students with Tourette syndrome may only exhibit symptoms in certain teachers' classes or when they are
suffering from additional stress. It's essential that the school environment allows (but doesn't force) these kids to "fit in"
on symptom-free days. Teachers who are lucky enough to have less than 15 kids in their class (mostly in private schools
and rural areas) will often pick up on their students' patterns, while teachers with 30+ students are advised to utilize the
services of their teacher's aide, the special education department, or other appropriate resources.

Make learning accomodations

Once a definitive diagnosis has been documented, educators can work with school staff to help the student in
the best way possible. Students with IDs often have a learning disability or anxiety disorder that needs to be addressed
in the classroom. Hopefully, students will be given an independent educational pathway (titled differently in different
school districts) after which the teacher can follow the plan and help the student throughout the year.

Although IDs are not easy to identify, students who go undiagnosed may find that they end up a straight C
student and don't go on to college when their potential might have been to obtain a 3.5 GPA and a college diploma.
Patience and understanding from even one great teacher can make it or break it for these students.
 Profesorado de Inglés – Lengua Inglesa III

Term Exam 1 - 2021

A. Are IDs stable?

B. Why do some students with IDs don’t succeed at school?
C. What is an “individual educational pathway”?
D. Who should teachers talk to if they suspect a young learner suffers from an
ID?
E. Should peers be told about a classmate’s ID?
F. What are the benefits of small classes when it comes to IDs?

4) Imagine you wanted to share this article on Instagram, using the

picture at the top. Summarize the content of the first paragraph and
write a caption for the picture – use your own words but do not write
more than 50 words. Include two hashtags.