Purpose: Much of the information physical educators learn about children with disabilities occurs in an introduction to adapted physical education course. Because disabilities often have concomitant medical conditions, it is critical that PE teachers are knowledgeable about risks and safety measures for children with special needs. The purpose of…

The article presented here introduces the Intervention Model for Affective Involvement (IMAI), which was designed to train staff members (for example, teachers, caregivers, support workers) to foster affective involvement during interaction and communication with persons who have congenital deaf-blindness. The model is theoretically underpinned,…

"Spina bifida" is one of the most common birth defects in the United States, affecting some 1,500 babies each year. Spina bifida happens during the first month or so of pregnancy and means that the baby's spine did not close completely. Damage to the nerves and the spinal cord may result. Following a brief story about a child with a…

Essentially, the goal of the P-16 educational process is to teach students to become self-determined adults. Unfortunately, educational systems sometimes fail in addressing these factors and in educating students with various disabilities in the area of self-determination. In this article, the authors present the major findings that emerged from…

Although fluency instruction is an essential part of teaching reading, there is limited information on providing this type of instruction with students who have physical disabilities. This article examines three case studies across two students, one with cerebral palsy and the other with both arthrogryposis and spina bifida. In the first study,…

Reviewed are the causes of oxygenation deprivation during the birth process, effects on the brain, clinical manifestations, developmental consequences in terms of cognitive and motor deficits, and implications for educators. (JDD)

Many learning disabilities or cases of mild retardation are due to medically diagnosable, congenital syndromes, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, sex chromosome abnormalities, multiple anomaly syndromes, phenylketonuria, and Tourette Syndrome. These syndromes are discussed, and suggestions are given for special education management. (Author/JDD)

Presents an updated map of the human chromosomes, building on a "plain English map" that was previously published. A brief summary of genes research is included in the gene explanations accompanying the map. (PR)

This article provides an introduction to Tourette's Syndrome, an inherited neurological disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. Considered are prevalence of the syndrome, common characteristics, instructional strategies, and the critical role of the teacher. (Author/DB)

This booklet explains characteristics of Marfan Syndrome, an inherited disorder of connective tissue which can be life-threatening if untreated. Medical problems affecting various parts of the body such as the heart, the skeleton, the eyes and the skin associated with Marfan Syndrome are discussed. Possible medical emergencies are identified.…

Various counting tasks were presented to 24 congenitally, totally blind children, aged 3-13, to determine the behaviors employed to ensure accurate counting. Three dimensions of tactile strategies were found, including "scanning,""organizing," and "partitioning." A developmental progression in the ontogenesis of each…

An instructional prereading using American Sign Language (ASL) was effective in improving the ability of 7 prelingually deaf children (ages 11 and 12) to understand and retell a story after reading it in print. A six-step procedure for using the ASL technique is explained. Other applications of the technique and its appropriateness for public…

This paper uses a question-and-answer format to summarize information about Williams syndrome, a neurobehavioral congenital disorder which affects development in cognitive, behavioral, and motor areas. Questions address the following topics: characteristics of Williams syndrome; medical problems associated with Williams syndrome; characteristic…

This teacher's manual presents lesson plans for a high-school instructional unit on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its less severe manifestations, Alcohol-Related Birth Defects. The lessons cover alcohol's effects during pregnancy, the history of concern about alcohol's effects, consequences of alcohol use in pregnancy, lifestyle risk reduction, and…

This book is intended to give educators an overview of Fragile X syndrome, including how it affects individuals, usually males, and how teachers can use strategies and methods suited to their specific needs. Chapter 1 briefly describes those medical aspects of Fragile X that teachers may find helpful. Chapter 2 looks at typical characteristics of…