AUTISM

AUTISM
Employing the DSM- v criteria could provide an answer to what is wrong with Tommy. Tommy has difficulties in engaging in social communications, does not cuddle, is a loner and has limited initiation to social interactions and limited social overtures from siblings and friends. Echolalia, parroting of what others say to him, and the inability to initiate speech or his language, could imply that Tommy has autism spectrum disorder. The other information that one could seek from Tommy’s mom is to know whether Tommy responds to his name if he makes eye contact or looks at people, if he smiles to people. In behavioral development, the telltale signs of the disorder include the following; repetitive movements, obsessions, fixed on certain rituals and routines, and self-mutilation.
The child is about to join preschool and exhibits certain unique indicators of autism that has been noticed by his mother. The mother must be informed that development in children is unique and not all children reach the same milestones at the same pace. Preschool children are inherently becoming social human beings, and they make friends, enjoy conversations with adults, and enjoy taking the center stage in everything (Mangal, 2007). Tom who might be suffering from autism might not do any of such things, as it affects Tommy’s social, behavioral and communication development. According to Carson (2015), Asperger syndrome is a mild form of Autism spectrum disorder, one that might be exhibited by Tommy.

A comprehensive assessment of Tommy should be the first thing on her mind. The family of a child with is presented with numerous challenges in their endeavor to build a good relationship with the child. It is critical for the family to learn more about autism to provide Tommy with the needed support. Tommy’s mom must be informed that the child has a right to a free and an appropriate education, because, under the IDEA Act, states are mandated to offer every eligible child with a public education that merits their unique needs. Moreover, the law specifies that children with disabilities, such as autism should seek early intervention services and special education. After diagnosis, Tommy shall have access to the rights provided by the Act. Undoubtedly, raising a child with autism is expensive, as the child must make appointments with the physicians, therapy sessions and other after-school programs, and amongst others. However, Tommy’s mom should seek government financial resources that are available for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and include Medicaid, some waivers, social security income, and the social security disability insurance.
HEARING IMPAIRMENTS
When children are born with hearing impairments, depending on the severity of the problem, normal language acquisition is broken. The ‘normal’ means of communication impossible and only certain forms of communication becomes for the deaf. Sign language in its various forms and finger spelling using a manual alphabet are examples of the alternatives. The other alternatives that can be employed in instruction include oral, auditory, verbal, cued, speech, total communication and the Rochester Method. Audiologists serve children with hearing impairments in the educational setting for many years and are often incorporated as part of the educational team. Employing a collaborative method, they often offer support to the other general educators, speech-language pathologists, and teachers, and amongst others.
While the oral-only education encourages only lip reading, manual education proposes the used of the sign language and the deaf culture. Deaf people who can read lips fit easily with other people, it may prove difficult to those who are schooled in the manual system. However, the manual system results in adequate language skills, however, the oral system can leave deaf children with poor language skills in reading, writing and in speech. Teaching deaf children how to speak is just as controversial as the ones discussed above. On the one hand, it has lead to high reading scores for those who can speak. On the other hand, teaching deaf children how to speak is very difficult when compared to the sign language. Proponents of the ASL believe that is a potent tool compared to English signing, in particular when an individual wants to transmit information to a specific individual. However, the simplicity of the English signing makes it an easier method for providing instructions to deaf children. Cochlear implants are controversial too, while they improve hearing to a deaf person, the products are expensive and cannot be used on the D cases. Hearing loss culture focuses on the amount of hearing loss and the procedures that can be employed in correcting the situation. This culture stresses on the normalization perspective, and that hearing is considered to be normal, while deafness to be abnormal. On the other hand, the cultural perspective on deafness focuses on the deaf and hearing people who have adopted the deaf culture and have embraced it as a difference, and are not concerned with the disability aspect.
Students who are deaf can be accommodated when the following is availed. Education interpreter, who translates voice messages to sign language for the deaf students. Voice captions for videos in class to be read easily by the students in class. A teacher might minimize on movement in the classroom to allow the deaf students to read the lips properlylips. Finally, and a teacher should not exaggerate mouth movements for the deaf students to read the lips properly.
For the hard to hear students, they might need hearing devices such as cochlear implants to amplify the sounds from the teacher, audio or video, hearing aids that serve the same purpose as the cochlear implants. The classroom designed in such a way that the teacher is in a respectable position with the student so that the students can get what is taught without straining the ear. A note taker in class should be availed to the student to give them room to have the same notes as their classmates.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
The five mobility strategies for the blind include cane skills, a guide dog, a sighted guide, the use of assistive technology and training in orientation and mobility. A cane is easily folded into a bag, does not need grooming or cuddling, and does not cost a lot especially when traveling on a plane. However, it can get stuck in a crack on pavement, one cannot communicate to the cane, do not guarantee a straight line walk. Guide dogs might guarantee a straight-line walk, are loyal, and patient, but they are costly to maintain. A sighted guide cannot be with one every other time; they are needed –might be because they have their needs to take care of, but they are human beings, which means one can have meaningful conversation with them. Assistive technology can help students to walk at their pace and can accomplish thing individually without a need for assistance, but they are costly. Training in orientation and mobility provides the best bet for the development of a ‘sensory sight to walk,’ but it has to be developed over a long period. These strategies describe the steps that can be taken by a teacher and other professionals to assist a child to improve the awareness of their respective surrounding.
Accommodations for the blind refer to the changes in the program from the way things are normally conducted so that the students with disabilities can have equal opportunities to participate and be successful (Nielsen, 2008). The changes do not have a fundamental or substantial effect on the standards. The goal of accommodation is to eliminate or decrease the disruption from the disability. In my school, the following have been availed to the blind students to accommodate their disability: Braille textbooks and materials, teacher verbalizing all the information, and use of recorded text. Braille textbooks and materials provide the student with the means of taking their notes. Verbalizing of information by the teacher assists the students in taking such information in context. Recorded text can be stored by the students and used later when they need to revise the information they heard in class.
For the partially sighted students, the following accommodations are in place; copies of overhead projectors and smart board activities that are to be viewed at the teachers’ desk as needed, the information presented on board are in high contrast colors, papers are positioned on a slant board which reduces visual strain and glare. Other accommodations or the partially sighted students include computer screens that are at eye level and tilted in avoid to avoid glare, textbooks and materials are of large prints, worksheets are clear and dark for a student to easily discern the texts.
PHYSICAL AND HEALTH DISORDERS
A teacher should need to know about special arrangements that should be provided to the diabetic and epileptic students. This information can only be provided by the physicians of the two students. Accommodations for diabetic students in the class academic program include the following supplementary aids, services, and modifications that are needed to facilitate the diabetic students to participate in the normal educational environment. For instance, students may need to have extra breaks during standardized tests or may need to have diabetes-related absences excused. Due to the side effects that epileptic children experience after seizures, it would appropriate for a teacher to provide certain accommodations to the children to reduce the impacts of these effects to the children. To minimize the impact of the deficits in attention and memory, an instructor can guarantee that instructions provided to the epileptic student are simple; does not include irrelevant information, and are offered at a good pace. It was may be appropriate to provide instructions to the student in different formats such as in auditory and visual formats. Such a move shall ensure that the directions are not repeated or cued when there are issues on the short-term memory deficits (Nielsen, 2008). A particular curricular accommodation may help the students with epilepsy to contend with their memory, and organizational deficits refer to the employment of graphic organizers. Graphic organizers come in numerous formats, which include diagrams, webs, concept maps, and assisting the students with memory recall and conception of materials.
The epileptic and diabetic students might undergo harmful social effects because of their condition. Such effects may include segregation, low confidence, and difficulties in building and maintaining a friendship. Teachers can commit to several things that minimize or prevent such disastrous social results. It is important that a teacher should not over protect the child, and when one limits the child’s physical activities, then the teacher is inadvertently encouraging social isolation and may be hindering with the child’s opportunities for learning and practicing important social skills. Hence, with the consent of the physician of the child and based on certain guidelines outlined in the child’s seizure action plan, the child should be allowed to join in appropriate class activities. However, a teacher should employ caution in situations that trigger seizure activities such as in hot weather conditions. The time immediately after the occurrence of a seizure is an important opportunity to prevent emotional and social challenges. Fellow students may be shocked after witnessing one of their classmates going through a seizure and might have questions and concerns. They may be frightful, when they lack the appropriate information, and might shun the other epileptic student. With the consent of the student and the parents of the student, the classmate may deserve to be given appropriate information on epilepsy to allay their gears and encourage their understanding and empathy towards their fellow student.
The diabetic and epileptic students may regularly miss classes because of seizure and the required clinical subsequent appointment. Consequently, the students shall miss chances to learn and to be involved in social contacts with their classmates. A teacher should include joint educative programs and other types of joint work as part of teaching tasks to optimize on social and academic opportunities both for the disabled and the other students, and eliminate the burden that frequent absence may have had on the social connections of the children with their disabled classmates (Marshak, Dandeneau & Prezant, 2009). It is vital that the teachers should continue and seek creative easy in integrating the two students into the social fabrics of the class community.
The process of acceptance of physically or health impairment student does not follow a straight line, and the teacher should not accept that after the movement through the stages then it is all done and dusted (Mangal, 2007). The first stage is communication. A teacher must always be aware of the wide range of emotions that is involved when one learns of the disability. Such a myriad of emotions impacts the behavior of the disabled child, and even extend to the others. It has a direct impact on the dynamics of the class as a cohesive unit. The teacher must have communication with inherent obligations of the classmates on their roles in helping their classmates with their disabilities.
The stages of feelings are the second part, and these comprise shock, denial, anger and resignation, and after that normalized life continuity. The inflexible focus on the stages that parents of disabled children goes through can often be misleading. However, the knowledge that the different stages can be assistive to a teacher in understanding the plight of the parents as well as the empathies and sympathies associated with having a child and a classmate with a disability.
References
Carson, R, J. (2015 Oct, 15). Autistic Spectrum Disorder Information-Asperger’s Syndrome. [Video File]. Retrieved https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZB7kGG5ipo
Mangal, S. K. (2007). Educating exceptional children: An introduction to special education. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
Marshak, L. E., Dandeneau, C. J., & Prezant, F. P. (2009). The school counselor’s guide to helping students with disabilities. John Wiley & Sons.
Nielsen, L. B. (2008). Brief reference of student disabilities:… With strategies for the classroom. Corwin Press.