Physical and Health Impairments

It affects individual's strength and energy, mental alertness and muscle control.

Physical Disability

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

They maybe orthopedic, neuromotor or musculoskeletal impairments.

Students with physical Disability are struggling to participate in everyday activities. They
cannot move easily from one place to another and their movement are limited.

Health Impairments

Is a chronic or acute health problem such that physiological capacity to function is

significantly limited or impaired and results into limited strength, vitality or alertness
including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli resulting in limited alertness
with respect to educational environment.

This condition affects a student's educational performance.

Students may be weak, tired or in pain.

Students with health impairments tend to have more absences due to their illness.

One of the best example for this condition is Asthma in which it happens anytime or
anywhere like school or in the classroom. Teachers should especially be attuned to
classroom situations that might endanger the health of the students. An example for this
would be the effect of chalk dust that could trigger to asthma attack.

Common Physical Disabilities that teachers are likely to encounter:

Neuromotor impairement- are caused by damage or abnormality of the brain, spinal

cord, or nervous system.

Cerebral palsy - a neuromotor disorder resulting from brain injury that impairs
movement control. It is caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain as it
develops, most often before birth.

Spina bifida - a neuromotor impairment of the spinal cord that can limit normal
movement ang cognitive functioning, usually apparent at birth.

Orthophedic impairments- are those involving the bones or limbs, such as clubfoot or
lack of digit.
Musculoskeletal disorders- are those that can affect the muscles, tendones, and
nerves. Includes rheumatoid arthritis and bones fractures. All may occur before birth,
during birth, or later in life due to injury or illness.

Health Impairments

Asthma - a narrowing of the airways that makes breathing difficult.

Epilepsy - a disorder that causes seizures. Seizure is an abnormal state in which a

person become unconscious and your body moves in an uncontrolled and violent way.

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Major Characteristics of Students with these Disabilities:

1. Although you should never fall into the trap of stereotyping, you should know that the
view of the world of persons with these disabilities, and their interactions with others are
likely to be a bit different from those of people without. They often have unique reactions
to live events.

2. The conditions of Students with physical disabilities may be relatively to more severe.
Different body parts may be affected. Disabilities may be due to Central nervous system
damage or muscle or orthopedic impairment.

3. Students with other health impairments may be weak and sometimes in pain. Lack of
stamina may often be a debilitating factor. They may miss a lot of school due to their
illness.

How to handle learners with physical and health impairments

Since teachers teaches a subject or skill to someone. Educator must also know
how to handle learners especially those learners has Physical Disabilities and has
Health impairments.

So as an educator you should SET UP THE CLASSROOM, you should arrange

classroom properly so that everyone can move around easily. Even if a student does
not use a wheelchair or other medical equipment, he may need extra room to get
around in class and avoid falling. Also give them a LARGER DESK since it may help
the students to balance books, papers and Classroom supplies. This larger table can
accommodate a paraprofessional, too, if she is in class with the student. You should
also ask the student where he would prepare to sit in the classroom.
TEACHING STRATEGIES to educate children with physical disabilities include setting
up a BUDDY SYSTEM so that another student can take note for the Student with
disability. A par educator may be needed to act as a scribe for other in-class
requirements. Also SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS can be adjusted or modified to students
too. A student who has difficulty in speaking due to cerebral palsy may need an
alternative presentation format in place of an oral presentation. Do not assume that the
student cannot or does not want to give the presentation. He may need more time to
speak and better attention from his audience.

TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT HE CAN DO. It well help to identify a

student's areas of expertise. The students may have become extremely proficient with
the computer, for instance due to the inability to write. Perhaps he can share that
knowledge with the class or show his peers how he use assistive technology to access
the computer. This can provide ways to incorporate computer instruction into a lesson.

Educator must BE FLEXIBLE AND ACCEPT SUGGESTIONS. Since most schools or

districts employ inclusion specialists, they can provide you with specific guidance in
teaching students with physical disabilities. Necessary accommodations or
modifications in your classroom can facilitate learning, no matter the impairment.