Chapter 8: Students with Special Needs Other Than Disabilities

·         In section 504, any condition that substantially limits a major life activity, such as the ability to learn in school, is defined as a disability. 

o   Reference: http://www.help4adhd.org/en/education/rights/504

o   This website provides an overview of the federal law, including which services are available, who qualifies, and how to apply.

·         Section 504 might include students with significant attention problems, drug addiction, chronic health problems, communicable diseases temporary disabilities resulting from accidents or injury, environmental illnesses, and alcoholism.

·         For students with chronic health or medical problems, the plan could address accommodations related to the student’s need for occasional rest periods, opportunities to take medication, exemption from certain physical activities, and provisions to make up assignments and tests after absences. 

·         Attention Deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed when an individual has chronic and serious inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that is more severe and occurs more frequently than in peers.

o   Reference: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm

o   This article concentrates on helping children with ADHD/ADD succeed in school.  It includes practical tips that supporting teachers can do for school success for children with this disorder.

·         Professionals now recommend that five types of interventions be used for students with ADHD: environmental supports, academic interventions, behavior interventions, parent education, and medication.

·         Giftedness traditionally has referred to students with extraordinary abilities across many academic areas and talent to students with extraordinary abilities in a specific area. 

·         Enrichment is an instructional approach that provides students with information, materials, and assignments that enable them to elaborate on concepts being presented as part of the regular curriculum and that usually require high levels of thinking.

·         Child abuse generally refers to situations in which a parent or other caregiver inflicts or allows others to inflict injury on a child or permits a substantial risk of injury to exist.

·         Child neglect is used to describe situations in which a parent or other caregiver fails to provide the necessary supports for a child’s well-being, such as basic food and shelter, education, medical care, and other items.

o   Resource: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm

o   This website offers an abundance of information on child abuse and child neglect, for example recognizing the signs of abuse, the different types and what to do to help the victims.