SEVERE AND

MULTIPLE
DISABILITIES
By: Erlanda Romilus

MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
A multiple of children have more than one disability. It has been estimated
that 20 to 50 percent of children with serious hearing deficits have
additional problems such as language delays. Many of the syndromes also
are characterized by several problems occurring together.
Children with cerebral palsy may have a speech delay, fine or gross motor
difficulties, and feeding problems.

HEARING LOSS
As defines by federal regulations, deafness is a hearing loss so severe that
individuals cannot process spoken language, even with hearing aids or other forms
of amplification.
Hard of hearing refers to a loss that has a negative effect on a childs education,
but not to the same degree as it does on children who are deaf.
Hearing loss affects a young childs cognitive, social, and language development.
Deafness and hearing impairment often are labeled according to when the damage
occurred.

ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT
Development problems that interfere with walking or other body movement are
considered orthopedic or physical impairments.
In many instances orthopedic problems and neurological problems are closely
related. According to federal regulation, orthopedic impairment refer to
impairment caused by congenital anomalies and structural deformities such as
club foot, absence of a limb, or paralysis; impairment caused by diseases such as
polio, neurological and spinal cord damage.

HEALTH IMPAIRMENT
Young children with severe health problems often have limited strength, vitality,
and alertness.
They also may experience pain and discomfort much of the time.
A normal childhood may be nearly impossible because of the frequent
hospitalizations or intensive medical treatments.
Health disorders take forms
heart problems( weak or damaged heart)
leukemia ( cancer of the bone marrow)
asthma (disorder of the respiratory system)
cystic fibrosis ( lung and digestive problem)

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
A legal definition is proposed by the National Society for the Prevention of
Blindness.
Vision impairment range from severe mild. The American Foundation for the Blind
offers an education definitional for the visual impairment.
Blind -Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best possible
correction, or a much reduced field of vision at its widest diameter, a visual are of
20 degrees or less.
Partially sighted- visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200 in the better eye with
the best possible correction.
Total blindness, whether congenital or occurring after birth, is readily identified.
The baby simply does not respond to people or object with the range of a sighted
person. Less severe visual disorders may be more difficult to identified.

COMBINED DEAFNESS AND

BLINDNESS
A combination of vision and hearing problems requires highly specialized
intervention programs. Serious sensory deficits in combination usually result in
problems with language and in cognitive and social development.
Education for children who were both deaf and blind was available only in private
institutions until the late 1960s .
In 1968 the picture changed, Federal legislation authorized eight model centers
for education children who had deafness and blindness.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

This injury cause to the head cause tearing of the nerve fibers, bruising of the
brain against the skull ,or bruising of the brain stem.
The most common consequences as far as learning is concerned are:
confusion in spatial orientation and directionality
marked distractibility and short attention span
problems in both short and long term memory
impulsivity and sometimes aggressiveness

Work Cited
Allen, E.,Cowdery G, The Exception Child.(7th ed)