Lawrence A. Salas Jr.

BSED III English

Facilitating Learner- Centered Teaching
Module 6- Learners with Exceptionalities
 Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching

Module 6 – Learners with Exceptionalities

Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the basic categories of exceptional learners.
2. Define and distinguish the terms disability and handicap.
3. Demonstrate “people first” language when referring to exceptional learners and advocate
for its use.

Activity:

Watch any of the following films:

The Rain Man
I am Sam
Son-rise a Miracle of Love
The Life of Helen Keller

Analysis:

1. Describe the main character in the movie you watched.

ANSWER: Sam Dawson is mentally handicapped man having a 7 year old daughter who’s
homeless mother has abandons them both.

2. What was his/her exceptionality? Describe.

ASWER: Sam is a mentally retarded person, but despite of his disability it did not became a
hindrance for him to fulfil his goal in his life. He was able to be a father and becomes a parent to
her daughter Lucy Diamond.

3. What problems/difficulties did the main character experience?

ANSWER: The main character Sam struggle with self- doubt, anxiety and insecurity about his
future and the future of his daughter.
4. Who provided support? What support did he/she get from his/her environment?
ANSWER: When Sam is fighting for his daughter. Sam received love and support from his
friends and those who believed in him. In terms of Sam status he was able to support his
everyday life as well as the needs of her daughter with the use of his job in Starbucks Coffee as a
Clerk.

Abstraction:

Application:
Revise the following sentences to adhere to the people-first language and the other
guidelines given.
 1. The teacher thought of many strategies to teach the mentally challenged.
ANSWER: The teacher thought of many strategies to teach the students who had mental
disability.

2. Their brother is mentally retarded.

ANSWER: They have a brother with mental retardation.

3. Their organization is for the autistic.

ANSWER: Their organization is for the children with autism.

4. He is a polio victim who currently suffers from post-polio syndrome.

ANSWER: He has a post-polio syndrome.
He has a polio who currently suffers from post-polio syndrome.

5. There was a blind girl in my psychology class?

ANSWER: There was a girl who is visually impaired in my class.

Assessment Task:

1. By means of a graphic organizer present the basic categories of exceptional learners

and describe each category briefly.

2. How do handicap and disability differ?

ANSWER: Handicap refers to any physical or mental defect, preventing or restricting a person
from participating in normal life or limiting their capacity to work while disability is an
impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory and etc. may be present from birth,
or occur during a person’s lifetime.

CATEGORIES OF EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS

Specific Social/ Emotional Physical
Cognitive or and Behavioral Disabilities and
Academic Difficulties Sensory Giftedness
Health
Difficulties Impairments
Impairments

Learning Autism Physical and Visual Giftedness

Disabilities Health impairments
Different levels High level of
Impairments
Involves of impaired social Malfunction of the cognitive
difficulties in interaction and Physical or eyes or optic development
specific cognitive communication medical nerves
processes impairments
-Dyslexia Mental -Limited energy Hearing
(reading) Retardation and strength impairments
Dyscalculia(num Significant sub- -Reduced mental Malfunction of the
ber)operations average alertness ear or auditory
intelligence and nerves
Dysgraphia deficits in -Little muscle
(writing) adaptive control
behaviour
Attention-deficit
Severe and
Hyperactivity Emotional Multiple
Disorder conduct Disabilities
(ADHD) Disorders
Presence of two or
Difficulty in Presence of more different
focusing and emotional states types of disability
maintaining like depression
attention and aggression
Recurrent
hyperactive and
impulsive
behaviour

Speech and
Communication
Disorders
Difficulty in
spoken language