special populations Flashcards
16, 17, 20
What are brain maturation mileposts for ages 1-6?
Rapid brain growth; all regions of brain: frontal executive, visuo-spatial, somatic and visuo-auditory functions show signs of synchronous development until about age 6
Children are perfecting skills: ability to form images, use words, place things in serial order.
Also develop tactics for solving problems
What are brain maturation mileposts for ages 7-10?
Only the sensory and motor systems continue to mature in tandem up to about age 7 1/2, when the frontal executive system begins accelerated development.
Beginning at around 6, maturation of the sensory motor regions peak.
Occurs just as children begin to perform simple operational functions, such as determining weight and logical-mathematical reasoning.
What are brain maturation mileposts for ages 11-13?
Primarily involves elaboration of the visuospatial functions, but also includes maturation of the visuo-auditory regions.
By age 10, while visual and auditory regions of brain mature, children are able to perform formal operations such as calculations, and perceive new meaning in familiar objects.
Brain maturation mileposts of ages 14-17?
Successive maturation of the visuo-auditory, visuospatial, and somatic systems reach their maturational peak within one year intervals of each other.
In their early years, young people enter the stage of dialectic ability: review formal operations, find flaws with them, and create new ones.
Meanwhile, the visuospatial , the visuo-auditory and somatic systems of the brain are developing.
Brain maturation mileposts of ages 18-21?
Final stage begins around 17-18 yrs as the region governing the frontal executive functions matures on its own.
Young people begin to question information, reconsider, and form new hypotheses incorporating their own ideas.
This development occurs in conjunction with rapid maturation of the frontal executive region of the brain.
Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma
The greatest percent of brain maturation occurs in the early yrs, birth through age 5.
Thus, injury to a child’s brain before 5 may be the most devastating time to sustain an injury
This may be why infants and toddlers who have had severe head trauma from being “shaken and impacted” have such poor outcomes.
In addition, children with frontal lobe injuries early in life tend to develop long term psychological and behavioral problems.
Qualifying for Special School Services?
Ultimately, schools end up being the largest provider of services to children with brain injuries.
B/c of the unique needs of these students, many require specialized school services.
These services may be provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Ed Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
IDEA?
In Oct. 1990, a category of “traumatic brain injury” for students requiring special education services was authorized under IDEA (Public Law 101-476).
IDEA enables school systems to better identify students with TBI as well as their special needs.
Helps avoid mis-classifying them as mentally retarded, learning disabled, behaviorally disturbed or any other special ed category.
How is TBI defined under IDEA?
TBI means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psycho-social impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas: cognition, language, memory, attn, reasoning, abstract thinking, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing, and speech.
Term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
What type of “internal” occurrences do some states not include under IDEA’s definition of TBI?
While some states have expanded IDEA’s definition to include all acquired brain injuries, most states follow this federal definition.
Therefore, in several states, students with “internal” occurrences such as brain infections, strokes, anoxia, brain tumors, neurotoxic poisonings, or metabolic disorders do not qualify for special services under the educational definition of TBI since their injuries were not the result of an “external physical force.”
The category to use would be: Other Health Impaired for these children if they are having educational difficulties due to their injury.
Important for hospital & rehab staff to know the difference in these definitions specific to their state so children get the services they need.
What is a 504 plan?
Another means of accessing educational services through the school system is a 504 Plan (sometimes referred to as a 504 Accommodation Plan).
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 requires schools receiving federal funding to provide reasonable accommodations to allow an individual with a disability to participate.
How does a student qualify for a 504 plan?
To qualify for a 504 plan, a student is only required to have a “presumed disability”.
The term disability means that an individual has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major activities; has a record of the impairment; or is regarded as having an impairment.
What are some examples of 504 accommodations?
Extended time on tests/assignments Alternate formats for exams (oral vs written) Note takers for lectures Preferential seating Assistance with project planning Provision of audio-taped books
Which students is the 504 plan generally reserved for?
In the elementary and secondary schools, 504 plans are generally reserved for students who:
do not require direct special ed instruction or services
can participate in the general ed setting if accommodations are provided
What are some helpful school reintegration tips?
Students may need to reintegrate into school on a part time basis or they may need in home instruction for a period of time.
Families can help schools by bringing copies of medical records, discharge summaries, evals.
Families can also educate school staff by requesting training for all staff who will be working with their child, alerting teachers of info about their student and preparing classmates as well
Families are natural link b/t hospital, home and school; however, they need the full support of professionals to plan for child’s successful reintegration to school
