Categories of disabilities
There are 14 categories of disabilities under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This graph shows the categories and their prevalence in students as of 2008.
For more information on any of the categories, NICHCY, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, has published this resource: |
My partner (Candace Weng) and I created this Pecha Kucha about autism as part of my class on teaching students with disabilities. It is a brief overview of what autism is and strategies for helping students with autism in your classroom. The information was mainly gathered from the class textbook, Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Classrooms with additional information from various websites.
Often times as a general education teacher it is not necessary for me to know all the details about a student's disability, but it is important to know what each student needs to be successful in the classroom. It begins with knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each student. For some students this requires teachers to be knowledgable about the specific disabilities that challenge that student and what specific needs must be met for that student to access the same learning as other students. Another reason knowing the signs and symptoms of disabilities is important for general education teachers is that they are often the first person to notice a student who is struggling. This is especially true in elementary education. General education teachers can often notice an issue that requires further evaluation and help students to get the interventions and supports they need. |
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