LEARNERS WITH LEARNING

DIFFICULTIES(PHYSICAL
DISABILITIES)
Session objective
Differentiate different types of disabilities by
defining its causes and characteristics
Children with Visual Impairment
The term “Visual difficulties” is used to describe any kind of vision loss,
whether total or partial vision loss.
The causes of visual impairment :
◦ Parental problems: Poor nutrition of pregnant mothers, eating foods that
contain insufficient energy, proteins, vitamins and mineral salts; alcohol
use, smoking, etc
◦ Birth problems: Inappropriate use of tools to deliver the baby; difficult
birth; baby may not immediately start breathing, which is dangerous for the
brain
◦ Malnutrition of the child from birth: lack of a balanced diet, especially
insufficient vitamin A, which can cause night blindness or dry eyes.
◦ Injuries: accidents which may affect different parts of the eye; brain
damage due to injuries/disease
◦ Diseases/conditions: meningitis; cerebral malaria; glaucoma; cataract;
malaria.
◦ Old age: As people grow old, they tend to become susceptible to some
diseases such as cataract, long-sightedness.
 Characteristics of visual impairment
Generally, someone with visual difficulties exhibits different behaviours including:
◦ Having difficulties reading and participating in different activities
◦ Squinting often, rubbing the eyes, having red eyes, high sensitivity to light
◦ Bumping into objects or things often
◦ Sitting very close to the television screen
◦ Closing one eye or keeping it covered
◦ Complaining about difficulty seeing things
◦ Problems reading from far or near
◦ Visual discomfort and fatigue.
◦ Tend to hold objects very close to the eyes when looking at them
◦ Abnormal responses to bright light (gazing at light excessively or trying to avoid it)
◦ Search for his/her way using hands
◦ Using white can for mobility
Learners with hearing impairment
Hearing impairment is an inability to hear well or not
hearing at all.
Causes of hearing impairment:
Hereditary factors: this is hearing loss or deafness that
is inherited from parents relatives
Prenatal factors: an expectant mother can be exposed to
many different kinds of infection during pregnancy, such
as rubella and influenza. Some of these infections are
more damaging to the developing embryo that others
Peri-natal factors: Hearing impairment may occur just
before, during or just after birth lack of oxygen
Post natal factors: Infectious diseases such as
meningitis, measles and mumps can lead to hearing
impairment this can be during childhood or later in life
 Characteristics of someone with hearing impairment
 Have problems in understanding directions
 Rely more on visual information processing
 Have difficult in group discussions
 Difficulty with oral expression
 May not participate in useful conversation with others
 Have inappropriate rhythm in speech and have poor articulation
 Have a feeling of inferiority and may withdraw from the hearing community if misunderstand
 May become aggressive or impulsive if not given appropriate support by the hearing
 Ask repetition of what has been said
 Will often have a degree of language delay
 Cups the ear in the direction of sounds
 Physical Impairment
What is physical impairment?
The causes of physical impairment:
Physical disabilities can be caused by either hereditary,
congenital or acquired reasons:
◦ Hereditary or congenital: A person with a hereditary
or congenital physical disability has had the condition
since birth, developed the condition because of
inherited genetic problems, issues with muscle cells or
the person suffered an injury during birth.
◦ Acquired: A person can acquire a physical disability
A physical disability is a substantial and long-term condition
due to a number of reasons. These can be severe
affecting a part of a person’s body that impairs and limits
accidents, brain injuries, infections, diseases and as a
their physical functioning, mobility, stamina or dexterity.
side effect of disorders and other medical conditions,
The loss of physical capacity results in the person having a
such as a stroke and dementia.
reduced ability, or inability, to perform body movements such
as walking, moving their hands and arms, sitting and standing
as well as controlling their muscles
 Children with Muscular Dystrophy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb5wcEGJTRg
Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic(inherited) condition that gradually
causes the muscles to weaken. It often affects a particular group of
muscles, before moving on to the other muscles.
Characteristics of children who have muscular dystrophy:
 Tendency to tire quickly
 Postural changes due to progressive muscle weakness
 Waddling gait with legs far apart
 Walking on tip toes
 Tendency to lose fine manual dexterity
 Trouble walking and maintaining balance
 Poor posture with a protruding abdomen and a sway back
 Equinovarus deformity of the feet
 Increasing difficulty in rising from the floor
 Lack of motivation because of limitation
Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral means” concerning the brain” and palsy means

“paralyses or the inability to move. Therefore, cerebral
palsy is a disorder of the brain that occurs as a result of
brain damage or lack of development in the part of the
brain controlling movement and posture.
 Abnormal perception and sensation
 Delayed or lack of speech control
 Different walking patterns
 Difficulty with gross and fine motor skills
 Involuntary movement and lack of coordination
 Lack of muscle control, muscle tightness or spasm
 Poor posture and spastic movements
Children with Spina Bifida

Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of

the spinal cord or its coverings

Characteristics:
 Closed neural tube defects
 Have problems with bowel and bladder control
 Fluid-filled sac visible on the back protruding from the spinal canal
 Spinal cord tissue is usually exposed
 Muscle weakness
 Paralysis
 Incontinence
 Poor short term memory
 Easily distracted
 Poor attention
Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra

chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the
body. They determine how a baby’s body forms during pregnancy
and how the baby’s body functions as it grows in the womb and after
birth. Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes
Characteristics of Down Syndrome
• A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose.
• Almond-shaped eyes that slant up.
• A short neck.
• Small ears.
• A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth.
• Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye.
• Small hands and feet.
• A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)
• Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the
thumb
• Poor muscle tone or loose joints
• Shorter in height as children and adults
Children With Attention Deficit And Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) And Learners With Autism
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is defined as
persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive
impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is
typically observed in individual at a comparable level of
development.

Causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD)

The exact cause of ADHD is not well known but

researchers explore possible possibilities including
neurological foundations, hereditary and environmental
conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN0i3FYQfY0
 Characteristics of ADHD
◦ Self-focused behavior: A common sign of ADHD is what looks like an inability to recognize other
people’s needs and desires. This can lead to the next two signs: interrupting, trouble waiting their turn
◦ Interrupting: Self-focused behavior may cause a child with ADHD to interrupt others while they’re
talking or butt into conversations or games they’re not part of.
◦ Trouble waiting their turn: Kids with ADHD may have trouble waiting their turn during classroom
activities or when playing games with other children.
◦ Emotional turmoil: A child with ADHD may have trouble keeping their emotions in check. They may
have outbursts of anger at inappropriate times.
◦ Fidgeting: Children with ADHD often can’t sit still. They may try to get up and run around, fidget, or
squirm in their chair when forced to sit.
◦ Problems playing quietly: Fidgetiness can make it difficult for kids with ADHD to play quietly or
engage calmly in leisure activities.
 Characteristics of ADHD (Cont’)
◦ Unfinished tasks: A child with ADHD may show interest in lots of different things, but they may
have problems finishing them. For example, they may start projects, chores, or homework, but
move on to the next thing that catches their interest before finishing.
◦ Lack of focus: A child with ADHD may have trouble paying attention even when someone is
speaking directly to them. They’ll say they heard you, but they won’t be able to repeat back what
you just said.
◦ Avoidance of tasks needing extended mental effort: This same lack of focus can cause a child to
avoid activities that require a sustained mental effort, such as paying attention in class or doing
homework.
◦ Mistakes: Children with ADHD may have trouble following instructions that require planning or
executing a plan. This can then lead to careless mistakes but it doesn’t indicate laziness or a lack of
intelligence.
◦ Daydreaming: Children with ADHD aren’t always rambunctious and loud. Another sign of
ADHD is being quieter and less involved than other kids.A child with ADHD may stare into
space, daydream and ignore what is going on around them.
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder of

development that lasts through a person’s lifetime.

Autism onset is between 0-5 years, and is three times

more likely to affect males than females. Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affect three area of

deficiencies (also called triad of impairment) of

development such as communication development,

social relatedness, and behaviours.

 Characteristics of children who have autism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrsDDZycjfY

• Often have difficulty with social interaction.

• May have an unusual interest in objects.
• Often have difficulty with changes in routine.
• Have great ability in one area and great difficulty in another.
• Have unusually strong reactions to one or more of their five senses.
• May do the same thing over and over again, or talk constantly about specific things that interest them.
• May have unusually intense and prolonged emotional reactions.
• Problems with social interaction with others. This may include problems talking back and forth, working, or playing with
others.
• Unusual interest in objects
• Need for sameness
• Great variation in abilities
• Under or over reaction to one or more of the five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, or hearing
• Repeated actions or body movements
• Unusual emotional reactions and expressions
 Teaching children with physical impairment : Spina Bifida, Muscular
Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy
◦ Accept the fact that a disability exists. Not
acknowledging this fact is not acknowledging the
learner.
◦ Ask the learner to tell you when and how he/she
expects a need for assistance.
◦ Encourage learners who use crutches or canes to
keep them within easy reach. Make a suitable space
available in the classroom near the learners.
◦ If writing is difficult, let the learner use a tape
recorder, where one is available.
◦ Encourage learners with disabilities (and their
parents) to talk confidentially with their teachers
before or at the start of the year/term, to discuss their
needs and how these could be addressed.
◦ If a visit or trip is planned to somewhere outside the
school, plan well in advance to ensure that
accessibility challenges on the journey and at the
destination can be tackled.
◦ Allow more time for the learner to finish
his/her work.
◦ Provide assistance if needed, but also provide
positive reinforcement when the child shows
the ability to do something independently.
◦ Use a peer-tutoring system and include
learners with physical disabilities in open
discussions
◦ Provide a separate place for learners with
disabilities to take tests, if necessary, for
instance if they need to take a longer time,
need someone to assist them, or need to speak
their answers.
◦ Where appropriate, give completely oral tests
or completely written tests, whichever suits
the learner’s needs.
SESSION2:Learnerswithlearningdifficu
lties(specific learning disabilities)

◦ A specific learning disability is a disorder that interferes with a student's ability to listen, think, speak,
write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Students with a specific learning disability may struggle
with reading, writing, or math.
ACTIVITY
◦ After analyzing the definition of specific ◦ Explain 3 examples of such disability in groups
learning disability of three
Children with learning disabilities
Children with Learning Disabilities have always been in our
classrooms, but teachers have often failed to identify these pupils
and recognise their special needs. These learners have been
called names including” slow learners, hard to teach,
daydreamers, lazy, abaswa” etc
These specific learning disabilities include:
◦Dyslexia: A specific learning disability that affects reading and
related language-based processing skills
◦Dyscalculia: A specific learning disability that affects a
person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts
◦Dyspraxia: A disorder that is characterized by difficulty in
muscle control, which causes movement problems and
coordination, language and speech, and can affect learning
◦ Dysgraphia: A specific learning disability that affects a
person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills
 Teaching children with learning difficulties : Dyslexia, Dyscalculia,
Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia( Cont’s)
For learners with Dyspraxia For learners with Dysgraphia
◦ Allow learner to choose activities which meet own ◦ Allow more time for written tasks, including note-
interests
taking, copying, and tests.
◦ Avoid disturbing learner when concentrating on task
◦ Allow learners to begin projects or assignments early
◦ Make the school light enough, fluttering ceiling
displays if they will need more time to complete the work.
◦ Keep wall displays to a minimum ◦ Instead of asking a child to write a complete set of
◦ Promote a ‘no-disturbance’ culture showing respect notes, provide a partially completed outline so that
for each child’s work space the learner can fill in the details under major
◦ Supply time-tables, daily diaries and instructions for headings (or provide the details and ask the child to
specific activities in sequenced picture cards write the headings)
◦ Get the attention of the child before giving ◦ Reduce the amount of copying learners have to do.
instructions.
◦ Reinforce the positive aspects of a learner’s efforts.
◦ Use simple language with visual prompts.
◦ Provide time to process the information.
◦ Use activities, demonstrations and pictures.
◦ Use closed questions rather than open-ended
◦ questions.
GIFTED AND TALENTED LEARNERS
Gifted and talented children exhibit high performance capability in
intellectual, creative and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership
capacity or excel in specific academic fields. They require services or
activities not ordinarily provided by the schools.
Here are some differences for those Gifted, Genius and Talented
learners:

 Gifted learners are those who have superior general ability in

academic performance.
 Genius learners excel in almost all academic domains and with less
effort.
 Talented learners are those who show signs of special aptitude or
ability in specific areas of the arts, sciences, business, etc.
 Characteristics of gifted, genius and talented children

 Learn new material faster, and at an earlier age, than age peers;
 Always remember what has been learned without making revision;
 Is able to deal with concepts that are too complex and abstract for age peers;
 Has a passionate interest in one or more topics, and would spend all available time learning more
about it if possible;
 Does not need to look at the teacher to hear what is being said;
 Can operate on multiple brain channels simultaneously and process more than one task at a time.
 Fluent and flexible thinking
 Excellent thinking and reasoning
Teaching learners with speech and communication difficulties
◦ Instructions in short, simple sentences and ask the
learners to repeat them
◦ Tasks broken into small steps and repeat instructions if
necessary
◦ Time for the learners to respond to questions or follow
instructions
◦ Reinforcement of spoken language with use of pictures,
real objects, role play, gestures, facial expressions, text,
songs etc.
◦ Regular practice in listening to stories and retelling
what happened
◦ Regular practice in predicting what will happen next in
a story
◦ Opportunities for role play –
◦ Ways of avoiding learners being put in position where
there is a need for an immediate response or interaction
in front of a large group
◦ Practice in listening comprehension
◦ Practice in describing events that have happened
◦ Practice in describing familiar objects
◦ Practice in following verbal and written instructions
◦ Practice in giving instructions
◦ Practice reading aloud individually, in pairs or
small groups
◦ Practice in sequencing – ordering pictures to tell a
story, ordering sentences to tell a story
◦ Key words, prompts and reminders to guide
discussion and/or writing
◦ Plenty of opportunities to practice speaking and
elaborate ideas in small group or one to one