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The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts. |
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Commonly used terms in the context of physical disability may include: | Ability: degree of actual power to perform a particular physical or mental task present in an individual Adaptive skills/behaviours: everyday coping skills that students need to take care of themselves and to relate to others in daily living Attention span: period of attention or concentration given by an individual to particular task or situation Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): modes of communication, apart from speech, which are used to supplement a person's speech (augmentative communication), or to replace a person's speech (alternative communication) Classroom environment: conditions within the classroom, or affecting the classroom, which influence the learning situation, including social, physical, physical and psychological aspects Disability: any lack or restriction of the ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the normal range Generalisation of learning: this occurs when a skill is learned in one situation and applied in another and allows the student to operate effectively across a variety of environments without having to re-learn behaviours each time there is a change Handicap: a disadvantage for an individual resulting from impairment or a disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal for that individual (dependent on age, sex, social and cultural factors) Impairment: any loss or abnormality of parts or functioning of the brain or body continued ... |
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Commonly used terms in the context of physical disability (contd): | Memory: the mental process of retaining and recalling a past act, experience, or impression Perception: thinking involved in becoming aware of objects, items, qualities or relations through receiving, processing and interpreting impressions received via the senses to register information through one or more of the sensory modes and to make meaning of it Thought processing: allows students to organise incoming information, to make connections between pieces of information and to interpret symbolic and abstract concepts it also allows information to be organised for decision-making, communication and action |
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Physical disability refers to: | Physical impairment or disability which affects a person's ability to move or to coordinate and control movement It may also involve loss of feeling and/or inability to use certain parts of the body Different body systems may be involved: musculoskeletal - involving joints, limbs and associated muscles neurological - involving central nervous system (brain, spinal cord or nerves that run from the spinal cord) |
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Causes of physical disability may include: | Cerebral palsy Spina bifida Muscular dystrophy Arthritis Osteogenesis (brittle bones) Congenital malformation of the limbs Some acquired brain injury Some orthopaedic conditions Syndromes Accidents which result in brain injury, spinal injury, loss of limbs or severe burns. Chronic health problems such as cancer may also affect a student's physical development, resulting in disability |
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A physical disability may be: | Present from birth (congenital) or acquired later (e.g. through an accident or illness) Progressive or non-progressive (this refers to whether or not the condition increases in extent or severity) |
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Physical disability can affect student development in ways that depend on the specific condition and may include difficulties with: | The ability to move, initiate movement, control movement and/or coordinate movement Gross motor skills - large groups of muscles in the legs, trunk, neck and arms are involved The ability to control these muscles affects the student's capacity to sit, stand, roll, reach, walk Fine motor skills - small muscles in the arms and hand used to perform fine motor skills such as touching grasping and manipulating Communication - some students with physical disabilities have difficulties with voice production and may need to use augmentative and alternate methods of communication Emotional well being - the impact of a physical disability on the emotional well being of students will be different for each student and will vary according to life stages and their experiences Factors which influence a student's self-esteem and emotional status include: personality of the individual severity of the impairment age degenerative conditions acquired conditions family attitude attitude of the school community expectations Social skills - social skills are developed gradually as children play, share activities, share interests and share responsibilities A physical disability may or may not interrupt this development at any or all stages Personal care - students with physical disability may need assistance with eating, toileting and other personal needs |
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Physical disability can affect student learning in ways that depend on the specific condition and may include: | Irregular school attendance: students with physical disability may be absent from school for significant periods of time implications for students can be wide ranging: they miss out on opportunities to learn friendships between peers develop in their absence on return they have to readjust to the school routine they may not be able to keep up with their peers Difficulties with access to and from the learning environment these issues may be physical and/or attitudinal and can relate to all aspects of school life: access to classes, eating areas and school grounds classroom set-up portability of learning materials, books and equipment access to library, laboratories, resource centres, computers sporting facilities toilets and change rooms water fountains school tuckshop transport and excursions camps work experience placements school play/concert/other productions social functions emergency evacuations Communication difficulties: for the student who has difficulty speaking or is unable to speak: adaptive equipment may be needed student must learn to use the equipment additional time required for oral interactions frustration may develop behaviour may be affected concentration may not be sustainable for long periods of time continued ... |
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Effects of physical disability on student learning (contd): | Communication difficulties: For the student who is unable to write: adaptive equipment may be needed computer programs may be utilised e.g. a variety of software options including voice recognition typing programs student may need a note taker and/or scribe. student may require additional printed resources |
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Implications of physical disability for effective teaching and learning may include: | Adjustments to the learning environment in order to facilitate access and to accommodate mobility equipment required by students with physical disabilities Use of inclusive practices and an environment that promotes equity and equality Personal support requirements, with management of additional adults in the learning environment Planning needs to incorporate alternate delivery methods and adaptations to ensure students with physical disability have equitable access to learning Education adjustment programs and education adjustment program profiles (or equivalents) may be required for students with physical disabilities Provision and use of adaptive technologies and equipment Specific supportive behaviour strategies may be required to assist students with physical disabilities to cope with additional frustrations and fatigue Timing of activities may need to be flexible Raised awareness of health and safety issues in the learning environment Contingency planning in place in case of emergency The need to take an unbiased, flexible attitude to solving difficulties |
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Strategies to support student learning may include: | Larger work sheets Fewer distracting details on work sheets/posters/wall displays Working with a buddy Adapted items to handle to assist with grasp (play, number activities, art project) Adjustments to games to allow participation Technology (modified keyboards, special programs) Hand outs or material available in a digital form to alleviate extensive note taking |
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Strategies that apply to assessment include: | Adjustments to work sheets More time to complete an assignment or exam A scribe to write during an exam Three years to cover the two year program of years 11 and 12 Different methods of assessment |
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Education team may include: | Class teacher/s Principal Head of department Head of special education services Advisory visiting teachers Education support workers Nurses Parents/carers Occupational therapist Physiotherapist Speech-language pathologist |
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Personal support may include: | Emotional support Communication Promoting social interactions Facilitating the student with physical activities to increase their confidence and independence Physical support for the student, including: positioning transfers moving from class to class moving from activity to activity within the class eating/drinking personal hygiene dressing Health care - both routine and emergency Preparation for some curriculum activities e.g. swimming, music, physical education Assisting the student to manage transport, and/or escorting the student to and from: school excursions camps sporting events work experience Care of equipment Setting up specific pieces of technology used by the student Mobility needs and manual handling to lift and/or move some students Working with a range of manual handling equipment including hoists Placing splints onto a specified limb |
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When assisting the student to access the learning environment the underlying principles are: | Maintaining the dignity of the student Ensuring the safety and comfort of the student Considering the preferences of the student Promoting the independence of the student Planning ahead |
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Strategies to support student learning may include: | Implementing specific learning/teaching program in cooperation with the teacher/s Knowing what motivates the student Having expectations of the student Incorporating student preferences Adapting to the preferred learning style of the student Ensuring, through consultation with the teacher, understanding of: the purpose of the activity what strategies are to be used how the strategies are to be implemented what level of help is to be given how help/assistance is to be given what information is to be recorded and in what format Communication: learning how to use a specific communication system creating opportunities for communication responding to all communicative attempts Responsible behaviour modelling expected behaviours clearly establishing expectations offering choices following through on consequences |
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