If your first name begins with A-L, you will work on physical disabilities.
If your first name begins with M-Z, you will work on visual impairments.
Now that you have read the text and any other resources to gain an overview of both physical disabilities and visual impairments, it is time for you to put all of your reading to practice. Your task is to provide appropriate teaching strategies to support the development of a student in your classroom who has the assigned disability or impairment. By sharing strategies and resources, you will continue to develop a Strategy Bag so that when a child with one of these disabilities or impairments enters your classroom, you will feel more confident in your ability to meet their needs. We acknowledge that children with these disabilities or impairments are individuals, and not all of the children will exhibit the same concerns or characteristics. This is an opportunity to put theory into practice.
Physical Disability: Discuss the plans and preparations you would make to enroll a child with a physical impairment, birth to age 8, in an early childhood setting to ensure their full participation in gross motor activities with their typical peers. Identify the materials, learning activities, socialization, and independence strategies you would implement in your program. Explain how you would re-draw the floor plan for a classroom that has children who use walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, standing chairs, and other adaptive equipment. Finally describe how you would prepare the typical developing peers for the addition of this child with a physical impairment in the program.
Visual Impairment: People with visual impairments are also impacted by mobility challenges. Discuss the plans and preparations you would make to enroll a child who is visually impaired, birth to age 8, in an early childhood setting to ensure their full participation in the general education curriculum with their typical peers. Identify the materials, learning activities, socialization, and independence strategies you would implement in your program. Explain how you would re-draw the floor plan for a classroom that has a child who is blind. Finally, describe how you would prepare the typical developing peers for the addition of this child who is blind in the program.
