Take Home Exam

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Question one
The phrase “exceptional student” is deceiving as it represents both students with some form of learning disability and pure academic brilliance. The education act defines exceptional students as “a pupil whose behavioral, communication, intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionalities are such that s/he is considered to need placement in a special education program” (Levesque 1420-1422). The “twice-exceptional student” is a relatively new term in educationist lexicon that refers to students who are both gifted but also suffer from a disability that affects their ability to learn. The term, therefore, is an umbrella term that identifies students who need special attention to various capabilities. As such, exceptional students included students with learning disabilities, physical disability like blindness and giftedness or language impairment. Students under this category will, therefore, require special facilities, teachers with specific skills and knowledge and a tailored academic curriculum.
The better part of educational theory in the recent past looked down upon exceptional students especially those with disabilities. The consensus was that disabled children were incapable of being taught and learning effectively. The education programs designed were therefore exclusionary. However, with the evolution of human rights and the right to equality that extends to education, exceptional students are included in education programs.

Currently, students are taught through integration programs that provide equal access to education and opportunity for success to both normal students and exceptional students. This is a move from segregation where students were educated through different means. Through intergraded education, both exceptional and normal students are taught in the same environment. However, schools take extra measures to accommodate exceptional students. Still, only mildly handicapped students are intergraded while those with severe disability are enrolled in special schools until they acquire the necessary daily communication, living and studying skills (Dash 25).
Question two
Identifying a specific term to describe exceptional students is difficult especially those who face one form or another of a challenge in their education. It there a preferable term to describe exceptional students? No there is not. Exceptional students refer to an array of children who are either above or below normal abilities of normal students. In cases where students face some challenges, the challenges vary. In particular, exceptional students can face psychological, physiological or anatomical challenges. The severity of these challenges equally varies from person to person. Impairment refers to the anomaly one has that can be either physical, psychical or anatomical. Due to the abnormality, one is then disabled, implying a reduced ability to perform certain tasks in a specific way. While handicap is the manner through which normal functioning is affected by the impairment.
People first language is a form of speech etiquette that is considerate of people with disabilities. First people language is a conscious use of the description of persons with impairments in an accurate and humane manner. It aims at separation of the person from the impaired trait. Person first language is used when referring to a person with any form of impairment. It is aimed at avoiding derogatory terms such as “retards” or generalities such as “the deaf”. Instead, it advocates for knowledge and understanding of the impairments one has but above and beyond that to avoid and to sensationalize disability. Examples an of people first language include Steven is a singer who is disabled instead of the Steven is a disabled singer or referring to someone as a retarded (“People First Language”).
Question 3
According to the American Association of Intellectual Development Disabilities, intellectual disability is, “a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 18.”(Aaidd.Org. n.p). Intellectual function, on the other hand, refers to intelligence. This is the general mental ability that includes learning, cognitive ability and problem-solving. Intellectual function is usually measured through IQ tests. Adaptive functioning is an umbrella term that refers to conceptual, social, and practical skills that are necessary for a fulfilling life. Conceptual skill includes language, social skills include interpersonal skills, and practical skills include transport schedules.
Diagnosis of intellectual disability is through identification of problems in intellectual and adaptive abilities of the individual. There is not a standardized diagnosis for either adaptive or intellectual disability. Usually, the diagnosis is made through a series of test. For instance, Intellectual functioning is measured using IQ test. An IQ of 70-75 is below normal. However, IQ tests are not definitive as they represent a particular mental functioning and not the brains entire intellectual function. Similarly, adaptive functioning faces the same challenges as intellectual functioning. It is diagnosed through observation of an individual’s behavior with others. Hence, one experience is not conclusive but a representation of that particular event. Intellectual disabilities are classified as mild, moderate, severe and profound according to the DSM-IV-TR. These are a representation of the severity of the impairment that one suffers from the normal with profound being the worst. However, these terms are not as useful as they are a representation of a range. Intellectually disabled persons are characterized by the inability to learn and or low social skills that result in poor decision making.
Question four
Diagnosis of learning disabilities like many psychological ailments does not have single diagnostic method due to its relative nature. Diagnosis of learning disabilities is fairly difficult. In many cases, it goes undiagnosed. The difficulty in diagnosis is inherent in the nature of the disability that may be simply an individual difficulty and not necessarily a learning disability. However, an extended difficulty in learning is a clear sign of a learning disability. Hence, diagnosis of learning disabilities is identified through a series of test. Firstly, it is through clinical review of individuals. The process involves analysis of individual, medical and family history to identify patterns and systemic learning disability. Still, this method requires that students are taken to professionals hence assuming that there is already an underlying problem. The second method involves the evaluation of test score and analysis of teacher’s observation. This method builds on the clinical analysis and is closer to home. Guardians can identify possible learning disabilities by analyzing their children’s performance. For instance, difficulty in reading might be a sign of dyslexia. However, these should be coupled with response to academic interventions. Poor learning is not necessarily a sign of learning disability. There might be a host of many other reasons why learning is not effective. Hence, analysis of academic intervention is critical to rule out other psychological and social influencers of learning.
Most common areas of learning disability are impairment in reading and impairment in math’s referred to as dyslexia and dyscalculia respectively. Dyscalculia is a condition where learns have difficulty in understanding mathematical concepts and ideas while dyslexia children have a problem with reading accurately and fluently. Some of the common symptoms of students with learning disability include but are not limited to short attention span, poor memory, difficulty following directions and poor condonation.
Question five
Attention, deficit hyperactivity disorder, is common intellectual disability among children and teenagers. As a mental condition, it is characterized by hyperactivity and inability to control impulses hence trouble with paying attention. Persons with an ADHD are considered over playful and easily intrigued by distractions. The condition may extend into adulthood with slightly different characters from ADHD among children. Symptoms include easily distracted, daydreaming, forgetfulness and poor organization skills, in children while in adults they include anger management issues, anxiety, drug abuse and low self-esteem. ADHD manifests in three subtypes namely inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type, and combination type. The subtype is determined by the dominant symptom that needs to be so severe that they affect one’s day to day life. The three major symptoms are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Inattention is the inability to pay attention on one activity and being easily distracted; hyperactivity is having consent motion either through movement or fidgeting while impulsivity is a propensity to interrupt and taking risky choices. Hence each type is determined by the dominant traits. The combination type occurs when there is an expression of all symptoms inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type.
The impact of ADHD goes beyond impacting education and includes emotion and social distress- persons who have ADHD fair poorly, academically, when compared to the other students. Inattention ADHD, for instance, makes it difficult to for students to grasp and understand concepts and ideas while the hyperactive-impulsive feel a sense of being confined when in class. As such, ADHD patents engage distractive behavior outside of class. Social, ADHD patients are exhibit anti-social behavior such as interrupting other or taking risky ventures. As such, they are isolated from the society. In turn, their emotional health suffers as they feel lonely and misunderstood. In many cases, they do not comprehend why others do not understand them.
Question six
Speech, language, and communication seem to be synonyms, yet they refer to inherently different ideas. Speech captures the concept of the pronunciation of words or articulation. It is a measure of accuracy in pronunciation. In children, speech is usually impaired as illustrated by mispronunciation for instance “gog” instead of “dog.” Language, on the other hand, is the mix of the words we use and how we use referring to the choice of words. Communication is the combination of both speech and language to exchange information and ideas effectively. Difficulty in speech, language and communication leads culminates in speech, language and communication disorders.
Speech and language disorders include Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Dysarthria, Speech Sound Disorders and stuttering. Childhood Apraxia of Speech is the inability of the brain and speech muscles to coordinate appropriately. The brain hence, cannot make a speech plan to move speech muscles correctly. Dysarthria unlike Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a weakness of speech muscles. Slow or slur speech thus characterizes dysarthria patents. Speech Sound Disorders is an umbrella term referring to any combination of difficulties with perception, motor production, and the phonological representation of speech sounds (Asha.Org, 2018). Language, speech communication disorders have a direct relationship with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum/ the influence of these ailment on speech influence the speech muscles, brain activity in speech and the ability to learn and speak efficiency. For autism for instance in level three, for instance, there is impaired communication and social interaction that makes it difficult for an autistic person to communicate effectively.
Question seven
Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are a classification by the Individual with Disability Act for the person who satisfies the standards of exceptional students. It is a system used by academic institutions referring to persons with not has a physical or biological impairment. EBD is an umbrella term and hence covers a number of the condition including AHDH, Autism Spectrum Disorders that affect an individual social, emotional and intellectual adaptation and development. The conditions are characterized by a number of common symptoms. These symptoms include hyperactivity, learning difficulties, being immature, aggression and withdrawal behavior. An overlying fact is that there are no known underlying causes of EBDs. However, research shows that person with EBDs come from difficult social environments such as single homes or abusive homes.
EBD disorders manifest either as internal disorders or external disorders. The dichotomy is an expression of the emotional and behavioral disorders based on who they are targeted against. In Internalized disorders, the emotional or behavioral disorders are directed towards the self. The person, therefore, exhibits unhealthy behaviors such as low self-esteem, depression, drug abuse and anti-social behavior. Externalized behavior is the opposite of internalized since it is direct towards other persons. Characteristic of externalized behavior include aggressive behavior towards others, extroverted and generally acting out behavior that out of the norm or frequent. ADHD is among the EBDs discussed in class. It is a condition represented by hyperactive and or a lack of attention by the patient. It manifests majorly as an internalized behavioral disorder. Autism spectrum disorder is equally another EBDs condition tackled in class. It manifests with varying level of severity. Interestingly, ASD manifest both as internalized and externalized behavioral disabilities.
Question eight
Autism is psychiatric development disorder that affects children in their development. It is characterized by difficulty in communication, repetitive behavior and impaired social interactions. The disorders are caused by both genetic and environmental factors such as alcohol consumption during pregnancy and infection with diseases such as rubella. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM 5) characterize autism as “persistent difficulty in social communication , interaction including restricted, repetitive behavior, and activities. These deficits are expressed in early childhood, usually age three, and lead to clinically significant functional impairment.”(Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 524 ). Diagnostic instrument available includes Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). ADI-R and ADOS use extensive parent interview and child interaction to make a diagnosis. CARS is better placed to diagnosis the severity of based on the former diagnostics methods.
Autism has a wide spectrum of severity from minimal limitation to debilitating limitations. It is therefore important that autism is classified based on severity. DSM 5 based severity levels on the extent of support autistic persons need. Three classes are present Requiring Very Substantial Support, Requiring Substantial Support, and Requiring Support, also identified as level 3, 2, and one respectively. Level 3 represents the most affected person of all, whose speech and social skills are so impaired that they require support for proper interactions. Level 2 is associated with relatively mild impairment in communication and social skills that require often support while level one difficulty in social interaction are apparent for instance decreased social interaction. However, common traits across the spectrum include speech impairment, social interaction impairment, restricted and repetitive behavior and challenges in cognitive ability among autistic individuals.
Question nine
An orthopedic impairment is, “a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance” (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act identifies orthopedic impairment as a result of neuromotor impairment, impairments caused by diseases and or any other physical disability that can affect education (musculoskeletal disorders). Neuromotor impairments are anomalies to the brain and part or the entire central nervous system including the spine. These form of impairments are developed before birth and resulted in affected body parts. Degenerative diseases are diseases that affect motor development causing impartment. The most common degenerative diseases are muscular dystrophy. Musculoskeletal disorders as the third type of orthopedic impairment involve physical limitations caused other than those caused by congenital disabilities or diseases. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), are brain injuries that are a result of a violent force directed towards the head. TBI is also an umbrella body that includes a wide spectrum of injuries to the head affecting structures of the head such as the skull or the scalp. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), is used to classify the severity of TBI.
Works cited
Edition, Fourth. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, American Psychological Association, 1994. “Definition.” Aaidd.Org, 2018, http://aaidd.org/intellectual disability/definition#.WmHs6a6WbIU.
“People First Language.” Gcdd.Org, 2018, https://gcdd.org/news-a-media/people-first-language.html.
“Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation And Phonology: Overview.” Asha.Org, 2018, http://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Articulation-and-Phonology/.
Levesque, Roger JR. “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.” Encyclopedia of adolescence. Springer New York, 2011. 1420-1422.