Services for Studnents with Disabilities
Faculty Resource Guide: Types of Disabilities Explained
Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Attention Deficit Disorder is a neurological deficit that affects the student's ability to sustain attention and concentration to academic tasks. These students may be impulsive, easily distracted disorganized, forgetful and may have weak study skills. Educational difficulties and gaps may be in the areas of reading comprehension, mathematics and written language skill. Students may also be less mature than their chronological age. ADD/ADHD may be treated with medication. Academic support, accommodations and structure are essential to the student's success.
Chronic Health-Related Disabilities
Students with chronic health-related disabilities have been diagnosed with a wide range of disorders. Although these disabilities may not be visible, the need for accommodations may be an integral component to the student's success. Students with chronic illnesses will often experience episodic exacerbations of the condition, at which time temporary accommodations may be necessary. Some problems are often caused by the medications used to treat the illness. Examples of chronic health related disabilities include AIDS, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and conditions that cause chronic pain.
Hearing Impairments
The degree of need for students with hearing impairments can vary greatly. Students with significant hearing loss experience greater difficulty in both receptive and expressive language. Hearing impaired individuals who have residual hearing use some type of hearing aid while also relying on speech, sign language, or lip reading.
Learning Disabilities
Students with Learning Disabilities are defined as having average or above average intelligence with a significant discrepancy between intelligence and achievement. Learning disabilities can include difficulty in visual or auditory processing or perception, difficulty with memory, attention or verbal and written expression. The accommodations for students with learning disabilities can vary greatly depending on the nature and severity of the disability. Examples of learning disabilities are students with dyslexia (interpreting written symbols), dysgraphia (difficulty in writing symbols) and dyscalculia (interpreting and sequencing numbers).
Psychiatric/Behavioral/Mental Health Disabilities
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment or is perceived as having such impairment. A mental impairment includes "any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and specific learning disabilities." Examples of these types of disabilities include bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, substance abuse and generalized anxiety disorder.
Mobility Impairments
There are various forms of mobility impairments, which include, but are not limited to musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiac, and neurological disorders. These impairments vary in degree and may range from partial to total paralysis. These disorders can have a direct effect on coordination, dexterity, mobility and impairment of speed. Students in this category may be easily identifiable by their use of assistive devices, such as, wheelchairs, canes, braces, walkers, etc. Others may have a subtle dysfunction that is not easily recognizable but can still impact mobility. Many chronic health related impairments can also affect mobility. Examples of mobility impairments may include asthma, arthritis, back conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, Chrone's disease, Lyme disease and fibromyalgia. Disabling conditions may also be caused by incidents of severe trauma to the body, for example, car accidents.
Visual Impairments
Students with visual impairments can vary greatly in the egree of sightedness. Many individuals have some residual vision, some have been impaired since birth, while others have suffered a vision loss after being sighted and may have visual memory. Despite the ability to hear lectures and discussions, students may experience difficulty in the use of any written format, including PowerPoint, Blackboard, Web Pages, videos, course packs, written exams and library materials. Improvements with assistive technology have provided access to information for many students with visual impairments, however, many still need assistance from faculty and other campus professionals.
Adapted from: "Understanding Disabilities: A Guide for Faculty and Staff." Office of Disability Services, Muhlenberg College, 2007
