MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
Definitionccording to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA), multiple disabilities refers to “concomitant [simultaneous] impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness, intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.”
In other words, a student whose special needs are categorized under multiple disabilities requires coinciding adaptions for more than one disability. The exception is the combination deafness and blindness, as this pair of impairments has its own classification under IDEA. Primary CharacteristicsThe National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (usually referred to as NICHCY) lists several common characteristics, including hampered speech and communication skills, challenges with mobility and a need for assistance in performing everyday activities. It’s also worth noting that medical conditions such as seizures and “water on the brain” (hydrocephalus) can accompany multiple disabilities.
Without a doubt, the aforementioned traits can create numerous educational challenges. For instance, a student prone to seizures raises safety concerns inside a classroom. Other common educational challenges revolve around the following issues:
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Accommodations & ModificationsAssistive TechnologyAssistive technology can be an effective tool for students with multiple disabilities in overcoming functional and communicative limitations. A variety of evaluations should be conducted by qualified professionals to determine the appropriate technological support for the needs of the individual student. Positioning, language, motor skills, and sensory issues all need to be considered in implementing the most effective support system. Both the environment and the specific tasks to be addressed should also guide the selection of the most appropriate assistive technology.
One particularly promising technological support can be found in the handheld personal computer. Using software such as the Visual Assistant, teachers and service providers can program a number of different skill sets and instructions to be accessible to the student at any time. These technology can include visual information in the form of digital pictures or line drawings, as well as audio messages and instructions. This can be instrumental in helping students gain independence in the community, such as during vocational training activities. These handheld computers use a touch screen, making them more accessible to students with motor control issues. Best of all, they are portable, and the students can take the computer with them into nearly any setting. They can also be quite effective in supporting communication with unfamiliar individuals, making them an excellent instrument for use in an augmentative communication system. ResourcesBigge, J. L., Best, S. J., & Heller, K. W. (2001). Teaching individuals with physical, health, or multiple disabilities (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Arthur-Kelly, M., Bochner, S., Center, Y. & Mok, M. (2007). Socio-communicative perspectives on research and evidence-based practice in the education of students with profound and multiple disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 19(3), 161-76. http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_pdfs/TipSheets/tipsheet_ClassroomInclusion.pdf Project Ideal |