Students with Low Incidence Disabilities

A Focus on Incidence• When the issue at hand for students with disabilities centers on the provision of

services in local schools, the availability of qualified personnel and the technical sophistication of necessary resources must be carefully considered. In order to provide students with disabilities with a free and appropriate public education, it is useful to classify learners in terms of incidence, or how many students with any particular disability or combination of disabilities reside in a community. Under such a system, students with the most commonly-seen disabilities may be more appropriately served by local public schools while students with relatively rare disabilities may not find adequate resources or highly qualified personnel.

• High-incidence disabilities include—• communication disorders (speech and language impairments)• specific learning disabilities (including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

[ADHD])• mild/moderate mental retardation• emotional or behavioral disorders

Low Incidence Disabilities•

Low-incidence disabilities include—

• Blindness• low vision• deafness• hard-of-hearing• deaf-blindness• serious physical impairment

None of the disabilities listed under low-incidence disabilities generally exceed 1% of the school-aged population at any given time. The relative rarity of students with these disabilities in public schools often poses significant challenges for local schools struggling to meet their needs. Since they encounter these students so infrequently, most local schools have little if any knowledge of how to best educate these students, of what technologies are available to assist them, and of how to obtain needed and appropriate support services from outside agencies. All students with low-incidence disabilities thus experience a commonality: they are difficult to serve in current local public school programs.

National Center on Assessable Instructional Materialshttp://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/promise_of_udl/what_l-i_d#.VEVuNfnF91Y

• Complex health issues• Multiple disability• Autism• Significant developmental delay

Percent of Children with Disabilities Ages 3-21Disability Category

CWDs(IDEA),Ages 3-5State (%)

CWDs (IDEA)Ages 3-5

Nation (%)

CWDs (IDEA)Ages 6-21State (%)

CWDs (IDEA)Ages 6-21Nation (%)

All Disabilities 100 100 100 100

Autism 4.8 6.9 6.6 7.2

Specific Learning Disability

0.3 1.2 44.3 41.5

Speech or Language

Impairment

46.9 45.9 18.2 18.9

Hearing Impairment

1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2

OrthopedicImpairment

0.8 1.0 0.6 1.0

Visual Impairment

0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5

(Data Source:http://www.ideadata.org).

Levels of Service • IEP/ 504 plans• Residential placement: ISD/ISVI• Resource• Itinerant

What is an Itinerant Teacher? Certified teacher Travels to the students Can serve multiple districts Ages 3-22 Multi-needs to gifted Direct and consult services Support to students, families and staff Technology support at school and home

Student/Staff Services

Direct• Teach how to use needed

equipment• Self-Advocacy/

Independence• Skill development• Compensatory strategies• Test administration• Observations

Consult• Adapt curriculum• Instructional Strategies• Accommodations• Equipment use/training• Environment• Safety/Emergency plans• Observations• Team meetings

Role of the Vision Itinerant

Interprets ocular information Explains educational implications/impact Provides Braille instruction when appropriate Provides adaptive equipment Trains staff to adapts classroom materials Adapts materials Refer for O&M Assessments Low-vision clinic Connects staff/families/students to outside resources Transition planning

Role of the Hearing Itinerant

Interprets audiological information Explains educational implications/impact Provides FM systems/cords In-services staff Recommends accommodations Connects staff/families/students to outside resources Transition planning

Role of the Orthopedic Itinerant

Describes the student’s impairment Explains educational implications/impact Collaborates with regular education teacher and special

education staff Develops fire/safety plans Suggests accessibility ideas to adapt the learning

environment Provides assistance with implementation of health care plans Trains students and staff on technology Provides resources to students, staff, and parents Facilitates self advocacy and independence Transition planning

Qualifying for Vision Services

A visual impairment refers to “an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.” (IDEA, 1997)

Vision Criteria 20/70 or less after correction Restricted field of vision Progressive and/or permanent eye conditions Temporary eye conditions Medically diagnosed cortical visual impairment

Eligibility for Hearing

• “Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects a child's educational performance. ” (IDEA, 2004)

Eligibility for Hearing

• “Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section” (IDEA, 2004)

Hearing Criteria

Permanent or fluctuating hearing loss in one or both ears

Adverse academic effect Equipment or in-servicing of staff needed

Orthopedic Criteria

The student must have a medical diagnosis. For example:Heart conditionCerebral palsy AmputationsMuscular DystrophyAtaxiaDystoniaSpina BifidaJuvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Qualifying for Orthopedic Services

• An orthopedic impairment refers to: “a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments due to the effects of congenital anomaly, impairments due to the effects of disease, and impairments from other causes” (IDEA, 2004)

Qualifying for Orthopedic Services

• A health impairment means having “limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” (IDEA, 2004)

Red Flags for Vision Loss

Inability to fixate on objects/materials for an extended period of time (just a couple seconds)

Turning head away from materials presented visually Looking away from objects while reaching Abnormal head tilt or turn while looking at materials Frequently holding near materials too close Eyes that bulge, dance, or bounce in rapid rhythmic

movements

Red Flags for Hearing Loss

Speech/language services or concerns

Difficulty hearing when it is noisy

Watches other children for cues when directions are given

Staring at the teacher’s face for speechreading cues

Need for repetition; often says “Huh?” or “What?”

Fatigue

Making a Request for a Vision/Hearing Services evaluation

When a student is suspected or confirmed to have a visual or hearing impairment that is impacting their educational performance, a referral for a Functional Vision Assessment or Hearing Functioning Assessment can be made.

A FVA/HFA is….. An assessment of how a student uses their

vision/hearing in a functional classroom setting using both formal and informal assessment tools.

Making a Request for Orthopedic Services evaluation

When a student’s medical diagnosis is confirmed to having an orthopedic or health impairment and it is impacting their educational performance, a referral for a Physical Functioning Assessment and/or a review of records will be completed.

Making a Request for a Vision/Hearing Services evaluation

The following is needed to make a referral:

An ocular report from an O.D. or M.D. dated within one calendar year

An audiological evaluation from an audiologist dated within one year (not school screening)

Completed CASE Referral Packet - found on the CASE website www.casedupage.com

• CASE Administrator : Mary Furbush• Hearing Itinerant and Hearing Functioning

Assessment Evaluator: Tracy Mack• Teacher of Orthopedically Impaired: Barb

Layer• Vision Itinerant: Kathy Sledz