Physical Disability

A physical condition that affects a person’s

mobility, physical capacity, stamina, or
dexterity. This can include brain or spinal
cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, cerebral
palsy, respiratory disorders, epilepsy, hearing
and visual impairments.
Categories of daily living that tend to be
impacted by significant physical
disabilities:
Mobility,
work tolerance,
self-care,
communication 
Mobility 
- refers to how we move around in our
environment.

Work Tolerance
- work tolerance issues, like lifting,
climbing, or standing, are impacted by the
onset of a variety of medical conditions.
Self-care, or being able to do things like
feed, dress, and bathe oneself, is an
important part of being independent.
Communication
- People with Physical disabilities are often if
not always at a disadvantage when it comes
to gaining employments, education and
many other aspects.
Self-care, or being able to do things like
feed, dress, and bathe oneself, is an
important part of being independent.
Communication
- People with Physical disabilities are often if
not always at a disadvantage when it comes
to gaining employments, education and
many other aspects.
Physical Disability

Definition of TERMS
Causes of Physical Disabilities
• Hereditary/Congenital
– where a person has been born with a
physical disability or developed one due to
inherited genetic problems, has suffered an
injury at birth, or has issues with their
muscles.
• Acquired
– An acquired physical disability could be
due to an accident, infection or disease, or
as a side effect of a medical condition.
 Acquired brain injuries
• Acquired brain injuries result in physical
disabilities. They occur after birth as a result
of damage to the brain through accidents,
strokes, tumours, infections, degenerative
neurological diseases, or lack of oxygen.

• These occurrences can cause damage to the

cognitive, physical, emotional and sensory
functions of the brain resulting in minor or
profound disabilities that can be temporary or
permanent.
 Epilepsy
• Epilepsy is a neurological condition that triggers
recurring unprovoked seizures. The causes of
epilepsy are not always known, but brain trauma,
strokes, brain cancer and drugs and alcohol are
thought to be significant factors.

• Some people are able to treat their Epilepsy with

medication, surgery and lifestyle changes. However,
unfortunately, epileptic seizures can sometimes result
in brain damage, causing physical disabilities.
Cerebral Palsy
• Cerebral Palsy affects the way the brain
controls the body’s muscles resulting in
speech, movement and posture difficulties. In
most cases it is caused by brain injury or
abnormal development that occurs before
birth or before one month of age.

• Cerebral Palsy is non-life threatening,

however it can vary in severity, ranging from
minor interference with motor-skills, to
quadriplegia.
 Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
• a hereditary genetic condition, inherited
when the gene is carried by both
parents.

• CF affects the respiratory, digestive and reproductive

systems, because of a malfunction in the mucus and
sweat glands which causes mucus to thicken and
build up, resulting in recurrent infections in important
bodily organs. From birth, a person with CF
undergoes constant medical treatments and
physiotherapy.
 Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a is an autoimmune
disorder causing damage to nerve cells. This results
in diminished brain and spinal cord function,
manifesting in various ways. Symptoms can range
from fatigue and numbness to paralysis and vision
loss.

• It affects women twice as often as men and no two

people will experience the same symptoms. The
progress and severity of MS can be difficult to
predict.
 Spina Bifida (SB)
• Spina Bifida (SB) refers to a range of
developmental birth defects that affect
the spinal cord, leaving nerves open to
damage.

• The severity of the symptoms depends on the

location of opening in the spine. People with
SB often develop learning difficulties, mobility
symptoms and paralysis, muscle wastage,
scoliosis, and bowel and bladder symptoms.
 Prader-Willi Syndrome(PWS)
• Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare, non-
hereditary genetic disorder that affects
development and growth. Characteristics may
include growth and skeletal abnormalities,
eye problems, intellectual disability, emotional
instability and excessive eating, which often
leads to obesity.

• An abnormality of chromosome 15 is seen in

most people with PWS. There is no cure, but
treatments can improve quality of life.
 SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS RELATED
TO THE TOPIC ASSIGNED
• PHYSICAL DISORDER
• Orthopedic Impairments
• Cerebral palsy
• Seizure Disorders
• Dystonia
• AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
• Autistic disorder
PHYSICAL DISORDER
• Physical disorders in children include
orthopedic impairments, such as
cerebral palsy, and seizure disorders.
Many children with physical disorders
require special education and related
services, such as transportation,
physical therapy, school health services,
and psychological services.
Orthopedic Impairments
• Children with orthopedic impairments
suffer restricted movement or lack of
control over movement due to muscle,
bone, or joint problems. The severity of
problems ranges widely. Orthopedic
impairments can be caused by prenatal
or perinatal problems, or they can be
due to disease or accident.
Cerebral palsy
• is a disorder that involves a lack of
muscular coordination, shaking, or
unclear speech. The most common
cause of cerebral palsy is lack of
oxygen at birth. Special computers are
especially useful in helping children with
cerebral palsy to learn.
Seizure Disorders
• the most common seizure disorder is
epilepsy, a neurological disorder
characterized by recurring sensory motor
attacks or movement convulsions. Children
who experience seizures are usually treated
with one or more anticonvulsant medications,
which often are effective in reducing the
seizures but do not always eliminate them.
When they are not having a seizure, students
with epilepsy show normal behavior.
Dystonia
• is a movement disorder in which a person's
muscles contract uncontrollably. The
contraction causes the affected body part to
twist involuntarily, resulting in repetitive
movements or abnormal postures. Dystonia
can affect one muscle, a muscle group, or the
entire body. Dystonia affects about 1% of the
population, and women are more prone to it
than men.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
• Also called pervasive developmental
disorders, range from the severe
disorder labeled autistic disorder to the
milder disorder called Asperger
syndrome. Autism spectrum disorders
are characterized by problems in social
interaction, problems in verbal and
nonverbal communication, and
repetitive behavior.
Autistic disorder
• is a severe developmental autism
spectrum disorder that has its onset in
the first three years of life and includes
deficiencies in social relationships,
abnormalities in communication, and
restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped
patterns of behavior
 Educational Implication
• Scheduling
• Setting
• Materials
• Instruction
• Student Response
Scheduling
• The scheduling or timing of the
classroom activities and instructions
were altered in order to accommodate
the special needs of the students with
disabilities. The following are two
examples of scheduling or timing based
accommodations.
i)        Extended time
ii)      Flexible scheduling
Setting
• This is aimed at modifying the learning
setting to suit the needs of the student.
Such accommodations include:
i)        Small groups
ii)      Personalized teaching
Materials
• The learning materials within and without the
classroom setting must be modified and
adapted to the special needs of the learners.
The learners with disabilities therefore use
the same materials as the rest of the students
and is graded the same with them. For
example:
i) Audiotaped or digitalized lecture and
books
ii) Large and/or colored prints
 Instruction
• These are generally modification-based
strategies aimed at altering the instructions
making them simpler for the students with
disabilities to understand better. That is, there
is a significant deviation from the traditional
form in which instructions are given to the
students. For example:
i)  Reduced assignments and tests difficulty
ii) Reduced reading level
Student Response
• Accommodations and/or modifications
targeting student response are
designed to allow the students with
disabilities take the general course but
with assistance of the instructor to
prevail over their disabilities. They
include:
i)  Oral or dictation of answers
ii) Interpreters
Afterthought
References