Week Eight

Question 1

Compared and contrast the three models of dis/ability as relates to SLT practise

Answer 1

Medical Model:
- SLT Role: assess, diagnose, and provide treatment to reduce the impairment
- Places the difficulty within the individual
- Not holistic
- Doesn’t include environment, communication partners

Social Model:
- Stresses the social context of the person: the role of the environment/society
- SLT role: assess opportunities and barriers in participation in everyday life, and seek to remove the barriers.

Parallels between Medical and Social Model:
- Both look for a problem and both try to find a source of the problem
-Difference: where the problem is (individual vs. environment

Education Model:
- All students can learn
- Teacher’s role is to make learning accessible for all students (teach in ways everyone can learn e.g., more processing time, information given in multiple ways)
-SLT’s role: collaborate with the teaching team

Question 2

Describe the NZ legislation / NZ disability strategy which guides dis/ability services in NZ

Answer 2

New Zealand Disability Strategy 2001, is the guiding document that aims to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, for example, objective 3 includes “providing the best education for disabled people”. Under this objective, outlines that no child should be denied access to their local regular school because of their impairment. It is used by all government run agencies, including the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.

Question 3

Describe successful inclusion and collaboration, and a key barrier to this in the NZ context as outlined by Pūaotanga 2021

Answer 3

• Children with disabilities are included alongside age-match typically developing peers
  -Children should be in the classroom learning the same types of tasks as others
• Values the contribution of all children
• Identifies that each child is a unique learner and removes barriers to achievement

Pūaotanga 2021:
One key barrier is staffing resources. Teachers do not have the time and support to ensure quality learning for all learners.

Question 4

What are the three models of disability

Answer 4

• Medical model
• Social model
• Educational model