Lesson 3

Learners with Physical and Sensory Disability

Students with sensory disabilities such as those who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or
hearing impaired often bring auxiliary aids and adaptive equipment to the classroom (e.g., dog,
cane, interpreter, Type-N-Speak).

A child with a physical difficulty may have a diagnosed medical condition which affects them
physically. There may be an undiagnosed condition where the child presents with delayed
development or impairment with their physical ability and/or presentation.

1. Visual Impairment
Visual impairment refers to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected to normal vision,
even when the person is wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses. Visual impairment can be
due to disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions.

There are two main categories of visual impairment:

a. Registered partially sighted, which means the
level of sight impairment is moderate.
b. Registered blind, which means a severe sight
impairment where activities that rely on eyesight
become impossible.

A consultant ophthalmologist is responsible for registering an individual as blind or

partially sighted. Students with visual impairments will experience varying degrees of
sight loss; the majority will have some sight which maybe useful for different things for
each individual.

I. Characteristics

A. Physical Characteristics
- Repetitive, stereotyped movement for example, rocking or rubbing of eyes.
- Red eyes, swollen eyelids watery eyes or discharge eyes that do not appear
straight, uneven seized eyes, eyes with drooping eyelids and crusts on lids
between the eyelashes.
- Maybe sensitive to bright light and may shut their eyes or squint.
- Poor posture in both standing and sitting.
- Difficulty to seeing in dim light or have inability to see in the dark.
 - Unusual facial behaviours such as blinking or frowning while reading or doing
close work.

B. Social Characteristics
- They are withdrawn, dependent and are unable to use non-verbal cues
- Reluctance to participate in social and physical activities
- Fails to make eye contact when talking to people Limited access to what is
happening around them

C. Emotional Characteristics
- People who experience sight loss have higher rates of depression
- Inferiority complex
- Low-self esteem

D. Psychological Characteristics
- May suffer from Repudiation, Umbrage, Inferiority Complex, Anxiety, and
Depression.
- Unable to use visual imagery
- Difficulty using spatial information and visual imagery and imagery problems
with functional implications.

E. Leaming Characteristics
- Usually have problems in distinguishing similar shaped letters, numbers or
words.
- They have difficulty in writing or are not able to write within the lines.
- They have difficulty in reading books within the normal range
- Having trouble participating in class, not be able to focus on objects or follow
them.

II. Teaching Strategies

1. Using large writing on the chalk board or visual aids and read aloud what is written
on the chalkboard.
2. Prepare teaching aids that learners can read more easily such as large print
materials. This can also help learners who have difficulties in reading.
3. Learners may have difficulties seeing the lines on writing papers. They can be given
papers with thicker lines drawn on it.
 4. Some learners will benefit from using magnifying aids. It can enlarge the whole page
or line magnifiers, which are a useful aid to reading.
5. Encourage the learners to use a pointer or their finger when reading. Cover the rest
of the page with paper except fo the paragraph they are reading. Use a book stand to
avoid reflection.
6. Children with poor vision need to learn through touch as well as through hearing.
They should be given a chance t handle objects.
7. Pair the pupil or student with a seeing classmate who can assist him/her to organise
their work.
8. Use verbal praise or touch to give the children encouragement.
9. Use the name of the pupil's or students during class discussions so that the
individual knows who is talking.
10. Computers offer particular support to learners with visual impairment.
11. Teacher should make use of abacus, tactile geometrical shapes,talking calculator and
Braille ruler.
12. Lessons can be taped using a cassette recorder for later playback at home or as
revision.
13. Keep walkways open. Make sure your classroom is easy to move through and free of
obstacles.
14. Give extra time, if needed. Some kids may need more time to travel between classes,
complete assignments or activities, and take tests.

2. Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment as a disability category is similar to the category of deafness, but it
is not the same. The official definition of a hearing impairment by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or
fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but is not included
under the definition of 'deafness." A hearing loss above 90 decibels is generally
considered deafness, which means that a hearing loss below 90 decibels is classified as a
hearing impairment

I. Physical Characteristics
- Speech sound system is delayed, and the child is not developing sounds
appropriately
- Frequent or re-occurring ear infections
II. Four Subcategories
 a. Conductive – This type of hearing loss occurs when sound waves are
blocked or slowed down from reaching the inner ear. This can happen due to
problems with the outer ear (ear canal, eardrum) or the middle ear (bones
that transmit sound).
b. Sensorineural - This type of loss occurs when there is damage to the inner
ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve, which carries sound signals to the brain.
c. Mixed - This is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing
loss. There is damage to both the outer/middle ear AND the inner
ear/auditory nerve.
d. Central - This type of hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the
parts of the brain responsible for processing sound.

III. Levels of Hearing Loss

a. mild - People with mild hearing loss may have difficulty hearing soft
sounds, especially in noisy environments. They might find themselves asking
others to repeat themselves or turning up the volume of the TV.
Hearing Threshold: The range for mild hearing loss is typically between 26
and 40 decibels (dB).
b. moderate - Individuals with moderate hearing loss have more difficulty
understanding speech, even in quiet settings. They may frequently ask people
to repeat themselves and struggle to hear conversations on the phone.
Hearing Threshold: Moderate hearing loss falls between 41 and 55 dB.
c. severe - People with severe hearing loss have significant difficulty
understanding speech, even with loud voices. They may rely on lip-reading
and hearing aids to communicate effectively.
Hearing Threshold: Severe hearing loss ranges from 71 to 90 dB.
d. profound - Individuals with profound hearing loss have very limited
hearing ability. They may only be able to hear extremely loud sounds and
often rely on sign language for communication.
Hearing Threshold: Profound hearing loss is above 91 dB.

IV. Educational obstacles

Educational obstacles related to hearing impairments stem around communication.
A student with a hearing impairment may experience difficulty in:
1. the subjects of grammar, spelling and vocabulary
2. taking notes while listening to lectures
3. participating in classroom discussions
4. watching educational videos
 5. presenting oral reports

V. Tips for Teachers

a. Early intervention - This can limit communication hurdles. Typically, both oral
(speech, lip reading and use of residual hearing) and manual (sign language)
communication are used with and taught to children with hearing impairments.
Voice and articulation training is often recommended to help students learn to form
the sounds which they cannot hear.
b. Designating a note taker - this can allow a student with a hearing impairment to
concentrate fully on listening to a lecture. A combination of traditional
communication, lip reading, sign language and assistive technology can compensate
for issues which make listening to lectures and participating in class discussions
challenging. Children who read lips often need to sit close to the teacher, while
those who use sign language may use an interpreter. Turning on captions during a
video can reiterate what a student may pick up from his or her amplifying device.
c. Don't underestimate a child's intelligence based on a hearing impairment - "For
most children with hearing impairments, language acquisition and language
development are significantly delayed. As a result, some may incorrectly estimate
the child's intelligence as low.

3. Speech Impairment
Speech Impairment refers to difficulties producing speech sounds or problems with
voice quality. They might be characterized by an interruption in the flow or rhythm of
speech, such as stuttering, which is called dysfluency. Speech impairment may be
problems with the way sounds are formed, called articulation or phonological disorders,
or they may be difficulties with the pitch, volume or quality of the voice. There may be a
combination of several problems. People with speech impairment have trouble using
some speech sounds, which can also be a symptom of a delay.

I. Characteristics associated with speech impairment

A. Articulation Disorder
- difficulty making certain sounds
- sounds are left off, added, changed, or distorted
- others have difficulty understanding an individual’s pronunciation
- children past a certain development age are unable to produce
certain sounds correctly
 B. Fluency Disorder
- stuttering
- repetition, hesitation, prolongation, or disturbance in speech
- tension in the face, neck, shoulders or fists

B. Voice Disorder
- issues with pitch, loudness, resonance, or quality of voice
- hoarse, raspy, harsh, or nasal voice
- changes in pitch
- loss of voice
- loss of endurance while speaking
- dull to sharp pain associated with voice use

II. Teaching Strategies

- Encourage and accept all forms of communication
- Be conscious of your own communication style
- Teach active listening
- Give time to think and respond to questions
- Help with sequencing and word order
- Creating tests that are appropriate for the student with speech impairment
(for example, written instead of oral or vice versa)

4. Multiple Physical Impairment

A physical impairment or also known as physical disabilities is a

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

People with multiple physical impairments tend to have difficulties

participating in daily activities,including walking, standing, sitting,
moving hands and arms, and controlling muscles.

I. Causes
Physical impairments can be caused by either hereditary, congenital
or acquired reasons
Physical impairments include:
1. Cerebral palsy
 2. Stroke
3. Spina bifida
4. Arthritis
5. Spinal cord injury
6. Epilepsy
7. Muscular dystrophy

II. Characteristics

- Is often physically unable to hold a pen and write for extended periods or
may experience challenges with input, output, and information processing
when working on assignments, tests, and/or exams.
- Student has difficulty finishing assignments and/or tests in the allotted time.
- Experiences fatigue and limited mobility when speaking to a
person for a long period of time
- Requires extra time to obtain formats compatible with
assistive technology
- Feels exhausted during group exercises or has difficulty
moving around the classroom
- Expends a great deal of energy to complete daily tasks
- Experiences challenges with daily living activities and mobility

III. Teaching and Learning

- Encourage independence and allow students extra time to complete tasks.

- Remove obstacles so that the student can move freely from lesson to lesson.
- Encourage support and communication to prevent isolation.
- Minimize distractions in the classroom environment.
- Consider physical access issues such as ramps, toilets, lifts, and classroom
layout.
- Incorporate advice from the occupational therapist in the program.
- Use computers and audio-visual aids in the student’s learning and teaching
program.
- Specialized equipment may also be necessary, such as adapted keyboards,
page turners, word boards, or special desks.
- Slower-paced activities are better than those requiring a fast response.
- Ensure that the student feels included and is encouraged and praised.
- Table-type desks with adequate leg space will need to be considered if the
student has a wheelchair, and place yourself at their eye level when talking
to them.
- The board in the classroom may have to be lowered if the student is in a
wheelchair.
- To facilitate students’ reading, use easels, portable reading racks or
adjustable desks.
- Teach social skills if necessary.
 Learning Output
Research Project

Title: Challenges and Strategies in Special Education: A Comparative Analysis of Teacher

Experiences

I. Introduction
Background: Briefly introduce the context of special education and the importance
of understanding the challenges faced by teachers. Explain what the research project
is all about and its aims/purpose
Methodology: Explain that you will be interviewing sped teachers. Specify that they
are sped teachers, stating their years of service as sped teachers.

II. Interview protocol

Discuss how you interviewed the respondents.
Interview questions:
1. Can you describe some of the most significant challenges you face in
teaching students with special needs and what strategies have you
found most effective in addressing these challenges?
2. What resources or support do you find most helpful in your work?
3. What are some of the biggest obstacles to providing effective
instruction for your students?
4. How do you collaborate with parents and other professionals to
support your students?
5. What are the biggest challenges to your own well-being as a special
education teacher?

III. Data Analysis

Comparison: Systematically compare the responses across the three teachers. Look
for similarities and differences in their experiences and strategies. Create table or
charts to visually represent the data and highlight key comparison

IV. Results
Present your finding clearly and concisely. Use quotes from the interviews to
illustrate your points. Organize your findings around the themes you identified in
your analysis.
V. Conclusion
Summarize your main findings and their significance. Offer recommendations based
on your research. Suggest areas for future research

VI. References

THINGS TO NOTE:
1. By pair
2. To be submitted next week Friday, April 18, 2025
3. Record the interview session (video or audio)
4. Provide documentation
5. Calibri 12