Orthopedic Impairment

University of the People

Course Code:EDUC 5710

Instructor:Dr. Shivanie Saith

Abstract

This paper starts by defining the term intrinsic motivation,then it goes to explain the

problems faced by the student having an orthopedic impairment before concluding by

describing the intrinsic motivational strategies to be used.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the act of doing something without any obvious external

rewards. You do it because it is enjoyable and interesting,rather than because of an

outside incentive or pressure to do it,such as a reward or deadline.

A very good example of intrinsic motivation is when a student is reading a book

because he enjoys reading and has interest in the story or subject ,rather than reading

because he has to write a report on it to pass a class .

Another example of intrinsic motivation is when learning a new language. You try

your best to acquire the concepts of the new language because you like experiencing

new things ,not because your job requires it.

Orthopedic Impairment

Orthopedic impairment is defined as a child's disability relating to a bone,joint ,or

muscle,that is severe enough to directly affect the child's educational performance. It

can be caused by many different factors including genetic abnormalities ,disorders

such as cerebral palsy,or an injury that has caused a missing limb or has impaired a

muscle.

Problems faced by the student with orthopedic impairment

The student in my classroom who has orthopedic impairment has no

cognitive,learning ,perceptual language,and sensory issues. He has poor self-concept

and poor self-advocacy skills which has greatly affected his general academic

performance and his behaviour. Due to his orthopedic impairment ,he always feel

helpless and depressed as a result of this physical disability.

Additionally,this student has both his hands and arms affected by the disease and has

a lot of difficulty manipulating standard classroom equipment(e.g.writing

tools,keyboard, books,protractor, etc) and performing his daily tasks,for example

eating lunch taking off a coat,moving from one class to the the other ,using

restroom,etc.

Another problem that this student faces is always experiencing fatigue and endurance

problems due to the effort it takes to move. This fatigue and endurance usually occur

as a side effect from medications (e.g. seizure medications). These problems have

minimized attention to the classroom tasks and interferes with the hearing materials.

This student having an orthopedic impairment has a lack of experience and problems

with concept development. He often lacks common experiences due to the difficulty

ambulating and exploring interesting items or activities(Blischak,1994,Katims,1993).

Lastly,this student has an increased incidence of distractibility, disorganization,

visual-motor deficits,fine-motor dysfunction, restlessness,visual abnormalities,

language impairments and low mathematics achievement(French,1995,Hunt,1981).

Strategies of Intrinsic motivation to be used for the student with orthopedic

impairment

The use of assistive technology will help to boost and motivate this student with an

orthopedic impairment. This will address the needs of the student to be able to access

the educational curriculum very easy. This includes speech recognition

software,screen reading software and academic software packages.

Another strategy that I will consider using is the the special seating arrangement for

this student. This will help him with the posture and mobility ,as moving around the

school hallways seems to be very difficult to the student. I will arrange the schedule

of this student in a way that prevents him from having to travel long distances from

one class to another.

Another way on which I will create an intrinsic motivation on this student is by

talking to the school administration to provide transport to this student to and from

school every morning and evenings. This will reduce the issue of time wastage and

always coming to school late hence missing some lessons.

The use of modified writing aids is yet another strategy that I will consider using for

this student. Writing aids include writing boards,special paper, pencil grips,and

special pencil holders. Because of his disability on both arms and hands,this will help

them when it comes to writing.

I will also modify my lesson plans and classroom activities in such a way that all

children ,including the child with orthopedic impairment can participate . I will

allocate him a task that he would be able to do independently. This will help him to

tackle the physical challenge that he is currently facing in the classroom.

References

Blischak,D.M.(1994). Phonological awareness:Implications for individuals with little

or no functional speech. Augmentative and Alternative communication ,10 245-254

French,K.(1985). Mathematics performance of children with spina bifida. Physical

Disabilities:Education and Related Services,14,9-27

Hunt,G.M.(1981). Open spina bifida:Outcome for 100 children at school.

Developmental medicine and child neurology,23,160-172

Katims,D.S.(1992). The emergence of literacy in preschool children with disabilities.

Paper presented at the Third Annual Carolina Literacy Center Symposium ,Research

Triangle Park,NC