Chapter07 allen7e

©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
Chapter 7
Physical Disabilities and Health
Problems

Physical Disabilities and Health
Impairments
• Physical impairments that relate to
problems involving skeleton, joints, and
muscles
• Health conditions related to limited
strength, vitality, or alertness due to
chronic or acute health problems

Physical Disabilities
• Cerebral palsy—neurological disorders
resulting in lack of control of muscle
movements:
– Spasticity—the muscles are spastic. They do
not contract and flex as they should.
– Hypotonicity—the muscles are floppy.
– Athetosis—fluctuating or uneven muscle tone.
– Ataxia—lack of motor coordination.
– Mixed—combination of two or more.

Physical Disabilities (continued)
• Classifications based on body parts
– Diplegia—all four extremities
– Hemiplegia—one side of the body
– Paraplegia—legs only
– Quadripelgia—arms, legs, trunk, and head
control

• Spinal cord injuries
– Spina bifida—imperfect development of the
spinal cord in utero
• Hydrocephalus—build up of fluid on the brain
• Incontinence—lack of control over bladder and
bowel movements

• Muscular dystrophy—progressive
weakening of the muscles
– Duchenne’s disease—affects only boys;
weakness begins at hips and shoulders and
moves to arms and legs.
• Hip dysplasia—hip moves in and out of
socket.
– Usually found in girls and treated with braces

• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis—painful
inflammation around the joints
– Children should be encouraged to move.
– It often disappears by age 18.

• Program implications
– Early intervention is key.
– Professionals work together for consistency in
therapy.
– Adaptive equipment may be necessary to
encourage movement and muscle strength.

• Adaptive equipment
– Mobility devices—braces, walkers,
wheelchairs
– Positioning devices—wedge mats, bolsters,
prone boards

• Adapting materials
– Universal design approach
• Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to
education does not work
• Understanding the need to design curricula to
meet the needs of all classroom learners
• Believing that all children who attend early
education programs will be successful in their
development and learning

– Manipulative materials
• Wall displays
• Velcro on blocks
• Pegs on puzzle pieces
– Creative materials
• Use large pencils, paintbrushes
• Push pencils through a ball for an easier grip
• Tape paper to easel or table to prevent sliding

– Self-help devices
• Use Velcro instead of buttons.
• Make utensils easier to grip for feeding.
• Use suction cups for soap.

• Adaptations in the classroom
– Wheelchair accommodation
• Widen aisles
• Put materials up on shelves, not on the bottom
• Bathroom accessibility
– Railings
• Indoors and out, place railings to help children with
balance

– Floor coverings
• Carpeting is best, if well stretched and securely
nailed down.
• If no carpeting, provide nonskid crutches and
shoes
– Eye-level materials
• Place objects at the children’s eye level for
independence.

Health Problems
• Some children are chronically ill and live
every day with serious health problems.
• Many developmental disabilities involve
significant health risks and problems.

Health Problems (continued)
• Asthma
– This is the most common and the most
serious.
– During an attack, a child cannot get a full
breath of air.
– Lips and nails may turn blue.
– If a child cannot get relief from medication,
emergency help needs to be called.

• Cystic fibrosis
– Children have excessive mucus, chronic
cough, progressive lung damage, and inability
to absorb fats and proteins.
– They also tend to have frequent, foul smelling
bowel movements and unusually salty
perspiration.

• Hemophilia
– This is found only found in males.
– The blood does not clot normally, causing
serious internal bleeding.

• Leukemia
– This is the most common type of childhood
cancer.
– Chemotherapy is the most common
treatment.

• Sickle-cell anemia
– Autosomal recessive disorder
– Red blood cells are sickle in shape instead of
round, making it difficult for them to pass
through the bloodstream.
– Overall fatigue is one of the chronic problems.
– It is found only in African-American children.

• Heart problems
– Children with heart problems should be
encouraged to move.
– Monitor their skin color for a blue tone.
– Let the children tell you when they are too
tired to continue.

• Diabetes
– The body does not produce or properly use
insulin.
– Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert
sugar, starches, and other food into energy
needed for daily life.
– There are two types of diabetes—type 1 and
type 2

– Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune
disorder.
• The body does not make enough beta cells to fight
off infections.
– Type 2 diabetes is the more common.

– Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are the
result
• Hypoglycemia is excessively low levels of sugar in
the blood.
• Hyperglycemia is too much sugar in the blood.
• When in doubt, give a form of sugar.
– Regulate food intake.
– Monitor activity levels.
– Watch for changes in behavior.

• Seizure disorders
– Epilepsy is a form of seizure disorder.
– Types of seizures:
• Febrile seizures, brought on by a fast rising fever
• Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand-mal)
– Violent shaking and jerking
• Absence seizures (petit mal)
– Momentary loss of consciousness
– Often accused of daydreaming

• Partial psychomotor seizures
– Often appear like a tantrum
– Child unaware of behavior
– Become stereotypic for that child
– Medication is often prescribed.
– Be aware of what to do during a seizure:
• Remain calm.
• Cushion child’s head.
• Remove sharp objects.
• Do not put anything in the child’s mouth.

• AIDS
– Caused by HIV
– Attacks the healthy immune system, leaving a
person vulnerable to illness
– Contracted through sexual contact, blood-to-
blood contact, and infected mother to baby

• Obesity
– Not necessarily a disability, it can lead to poor
self-esteem and other health risks.
– Child’s caloric intake exceeds caloric loss
through exercise.
– Increase child’s movement and limit the intake
of empty calories through junk food.

• Undernourishment
– Children consume too few calories, causing
low weight.
– It can result from poor chewing and
swallowing.
– Increase easy-to-swallow foods and consult
nutritionist for high-calorie, healthy food
choices.

Health Problems and Classroom
Practices
• Teachers should be informed of all health
issues related to the child that may impact
educational performance.
• Become educated on the illness,
prevention, and care.

Practices (continued)
• Health records
– These should be kept on all children and
should include:
• Emergency telephone numbers
• Names of doctors/dentists
• Medications
• Allergies
• Immunizations

• Administering medications
– This varies from state to state, but most
require the following:
• Parent permission
• Child’s name on the bottle with the dosage
• Medication log to be on file
• Locked area to keep medication

• Emergency considerations
– Emergencies need to be planned for, even
though we hope they never occur.
– Fire drills should be practiced monthly.
– Parents should be contacted about plans for
their child in case of emergency.
– Staff need a plan for classroom coverage.
– Staff should have CPR and first aid training.

• Confidentiality
– Similar to a doctor, a teacher needs to
maintain confidentiality about students.
– Student files should not leave the building.
– Students should not be discussed outside of
work.
– Families need to know that they can trust the
teacher with this knowledge about their child.

Chapter07 allen7e

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