types of disabilities
Diabilities are seperated into two categories; visable and invisible. Visible disabilities are ones you can see such as mobility issues, blindness, and deafness. Invisible disabilities are ones that you cannot necessarily see the signs of like attention defecit, chronic health, and learning disabilities.
Anna,
Yes, however they may not need accommodations within a classroom environment.
Sarah Smoger
People with OCD or mild Tourette syndrome not always show signs of disability, and some of them perform academically above average. Should we consider them having disability?
Jean,
And it doesn't mean that the disability doesn't impact more on learning than those that are visible. The student in a wheelchair is just like every other student, sitting down. The student with a significant learning disability LOOKS just like everyone else, but may have significant difficulties in learning through standard means.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
People need to be cognizant of invisible disabilities as well as visible. Even though the disability may not be apparent, doesn't mean they don't have a disability.
Kimberlie,
I know exactly what you mean. My daughter has CP as well. Hers is more severe and immediately more obvious to outsiders (she uses a motorized wheelchair and has little usable speech). My biggest concern is that I think the kid is smarter than I am (but at least for now, I am still bigger than she is!). It has never held her back significantly from what SHE wants to do and be. Yet others make huge assumptions about what she is capable of. On the other hand, you may have a student with a significant learning disability that doesn't show AT ALL, and yet has huge impact on the student's academic achievement. Severity is about more than the outside package!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree that disabilities do come in many different types...I have a 11 year old son that has a mild case of CP and it is very much visible but it does not stop him from achieving his goals. He has very high self esteem and don't allow negative people to discourage him at all. Then in other cases have seen that people can have a disability and you will never know unless you are told.
Rebecca,
That's true -- although some would argue that, in a way, deafness/hearing loss is an invisible disability, too. It isn't the disability that you can SEE (to notice and identify someone), but rather the adaptive measures that the individual uses to cope with the disability (hearing aids, interpreters, and so on). But there is no question that being blind, deaf, or in a wheelchair is easier for the public to UNDERSTAND as disability.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
