Disability

Question 1

DISABILITY AS HUMAN VARIATION

Answer 1

•Moving away from a “minority group” model
•Disability as a normal aspect of life (rejecting the notion that people with a disability are “abnormal”)
•What is “normal”? Do you have to drive a car to be normal?
Do you have to have 5 fingers and five toes?
•Most people will experience disability (permanent or temporary) throughout their life

Question 2

BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Answer 2

• Negative attitudes
• Prejudice
• Labelling
• Over-protection (particularly with parents)
• Lack of awareness
• Inaccessible information
• Format
• Level
• Coverage
• Physical structures/access
• Social/practical supports

Question 3

COMMON CHILDHOOD DISABILITY GROUPS

Answer 3

• Physical disability (cerebral palsy)
• Global developmental delay/ intellectual disability
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Learning disability
• Blindness or vision impairment
• Hearing impairment or deafness
• Acquired brain injury
• ADHD/mental health problems
• Chronic medical conditions

Question 4

ECOLOGICAL MODELS

Answer 4

Human development is shaped by the interaction between an individual and his or her environment

Question 5

INFORMATION PROCESSING PERSPECTIVES

Answer 5

• Information processing models explain and describe mental processes using the analogy of the mind as a computer.
• Processes include memory and more recently executive functions including attention, problem solving, and emotion regulation

Question 6

PROTECTIVE FACTORS FROM THE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF DISABILITY

Answer 6

Child
•social skills, attachment to family, school achievement
Family
•supportive caring parents, parental employment, access to support networks
School
•positive school climate, sense of belonging/bonding, opportunities for some success at school and recognition of achievement
Community
•access to support services, community networking, participation in community groups

Question 7

CAUSES OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Answer 7

40-50% = no identifiable origin 
Other = 50-60%:
•Chromosomal  (e.g. Down syndrome)
•Genetic (e.g. Fragile X syndrome)
•Cranial malformations (hydrocephalus)
•Congenital (fetal alcohol syndrome)
•Perinatal (extreme  prematurity)
•Postnatal

Children with global developmental delay/intellectual disability go through similar stages of development in the same order as typically developing children. However, milestones may be achieved later and they may not develop as many skills. (Patton et al, 1990)

Question 8

STEREOTYPES AND EXPECTATIONS

Answer 8

• Intellectual disability ≠ “cognitive stagnation”
• Intellectual disability ≠ global impairment across all cognitive domains
• Disorder specific cognitive profiles are becoming more well documentedKirk, Gray, Riby, & Cornish (2015)
• The impact of intellectual disability on development will depend on the level of disability
• People with a mild or moderate ID may learn at a slower rate but have good potential to live independent, productive lives (with varying levels of support)
• People with more severe ID typically require more higher levels of support with daily life activities, such as eating, showering, and dressing.

Question 9

BARRIERS TO SOCIAL INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION

Answer 9

• High levels of social isolation, exclusion and discrimination (resulting from negative attitudes and misconceptions)
• Lack of services and formal supports (with a lifetime focus)
• Few opportunities for employment
• Lack of access to buildings and facilities and informationTHE NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME
• Massive social change
• Individualisedfunding
• Underpinned by concepts of participation and social inclusion
• Largest disability groups*:
• ASD (29%)
• ID (27%)* As at 31 December 2018

Question 10

Thoery of mind (TOM) is…

Answer 10

“Shorthand” for being able to attribute mental states to one self or another person (Premack and Woodruff, 1978 )

• Refers to the ability to perceive how others think and feel, and how that relates to oneself
• May explain some of the social and communication difficulties experienced by people with ASD

Question 11

Consequences of lacking TOM

Answer 11

1. Difficulty explaining ones behaviours
2. Difficulty understanding emotions
3. Difficulty predicting the behaviour or emotional state of others
4. Problems understanding the perspectives of others
5. Problems inferring the intentions of others
6. Lack of understanding that behaviour impacts how others think and/or feel
7. Problems with joint attention and other social conventions
8. Problems differentiating fiction from fact