Day 5 of raising awareness of kids with special needs.. Keep in mind that all children are unique and different, even children within the same specific disability classifications will demonstrate a wide spectrum of abilities and needs ranging from mild to severe. The following information is specific to children with the most common disability classifications or special needs that coaches may encounter. AUTISM AND PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that occurs during the first three years of life. It is a neurological disorder that affects the childs language (i.e. verbal and nonverbal communication), play and social development ( i.e. ability to relate to others). When children display similar behaviours that significantly affect social interaction and communication but do not meet the criteria of autism they may be diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder. Children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders can exhibit one or more of the following physical, cognitive, or social characteristics: Physical •May exhibit uneven rates of development. For example, the child may be strong in one or two areas, meeting age group peers, while developmentally delayed in others. The two most difficult areas of development are usually language and social skills. •May display an exceptional ability to perform certain skills such as word recall, music or perform large mathematical calculations. •Difficulty with body and spatial awareness such as positioning their body while moving. •May exhibit a high threshold for pain. Cognitive •Communication skills (e.g. using and understanding language) are difficult and can vary from nonverbal to high verbal skills. •Language may consist of repeating phrases or echolalia meaning repeating back what is heard and not using original language. •Are literal learners making abstract concepts difficult to understand. •A high percent of children with autism have mental retardation. Social •May demonstrate inappropriate or unusual behaviours (e.g. lack of eye contact, fixation or repetitiveness on objects or people). •Resistance to environmental change or a change in daily routines. Transitions from one activity to the next may be difficult. •Can be over or under responsive to sensory information (e.g. certain sounds). May be sensitive to touch (i.e. tactile defensive) or resistant to physical closeness. SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY (LD) ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DISORDER (DCD) Children with a specific LD have neurological difficulty processing information in the central nervous system causing a deficit in understanding spoken or written words. This difficulty can manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, do mathematical calculations or motor plan. Children with a specific LD will demonstrate a higher than average percentage of the following difficulties: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity. Impulse behaviors that are more frequent and severe than observed in children of comparable development. Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) which means that performance in motor coordination activities is substantially below that expected of age group peers. There is a marked delay in meeting motor developmental milestones (e.g. walking) and the child appears clumsy and performs poorly in sports. Children with specific LD and other accompanying difficulties (ADHD and DCD) can exhibit one or more of the following physical, cognitive, or social characteristics: Physical •A marked developmental delay exists with children lagging behind their age group peers in certain fundamental movements (e.g. running, throwing, catching). •May demonstrate inappropriate motor planning or the inability to initiate a movement and put the correct parts into a proper sequence. •Difficulty with body (understanding what the body parts can do) and spatial awareness (positioning the body in space). •Difficulty with crossing the halfway line (i.e. hand crossing the body to catch a ball) •May not perform movements in a smooth and efficient manner requiring extra movements and the use of unnecessary body parts to perform the skill. Difficulty with moving one part independently form others. In general, childs movements appear clumsy. •May demonstrate an inability to control movements or slow down the pace (e.g. impulse control). •Inconsistency in skill performance that often vacillates from practice to practice and even within the same session. The coach may feel the child has learned the skill only to come back later in the same or next practice session to find the child has forgotten how to perform the skill. •May exhibit a loss of balance after performing a movement. This may be the result of applying too much force or poor motor planning while performing the movement. •Difficulty with bilateral coordination or the upper and lower halves of the body working together such as performing jumping jacks during warm-ups. Cognitive •May need more time to take in or process information such as verbal instructions. This may be due to the fact that the child is taking in too much information or stimuli around them at one time and has difficulty remaining focused on the specific instruction or task. In general, processing information especially more than one direction at a time is difficult. May not learn best visually. Difficulty with visual figure-background constancy or distinguishing an object (e.g. ball) from a background. For example, the soccer ball and teammates may all blend together. •May demonstrate preservation which is the inability to shift easily from one activity to the next. For example, continuing to dribble a soccer ball in a drill even when it is time to stop. Social •May be hyperactive and have a lot of excess energy that is difficulty to control. This hyperactivity can lead to difficulty staying on task or remaining focused and can result in a short attention span. •May finish tasks quickly with many errors in order to move on to the next task. SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED) or BEHAVIOR DISORDER (BD) Children with SED or BD demonstrate an inability to maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with family, peers, and/or teachers. They exhibit inappropriate behaviours or feelings under normal circumstances, with a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. It is important to realize that all children display inappropriate behaviour on occasion. The key is if inappropriate behaviour persists over time (more than 6 months) and is different from what is expected of children the same age. Children with SED or BD can exhibit one or more of the following physical, cognitive, or social characteristics: Physical •Usually attain physical development similar to age group peers, but are delayed socially. •A wide range (high-low) of motor ability and fitness levels exist. •May demonstrate an inability to control movements or slow down the pace (e.g. impulse control). •May be sensitive to touch (i.e. tactile defensive) or resistant to physical closeness. Cognitive •May challenge authority and rules. •Some children lack understanding and regard for safety. Social •Demonstrates a wide range of specific behavioural disturbances such as aggression, withdrawal, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and short attention span. •May appear impulsive by moving without carefully considering the alternatives. A desire to finish tasks quickly with many errors in order to move on to the next task. •May be hyperactive and difficult to control. This excess energy can make it difficult to stay on task, remain focused, and can result in a short attention span. •Rigid in expectations and can become easily frustrated, upset, or agitated. Difficulty accepting change, limitations, and criticism (i.e. coaching). •Lack motivation with an inability to direct themselves. For example practicing skills on their own. •An inability to conform to group goals. Difficulty socializing, relating to others, and making friends due to the fact that they dont follow standard behaviours. •May exhibit extreme mood shifts ranging from happy to depressed all during one practice or game. •May be resistant to change, requiring a structured and consistent setting each time.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 05:59:52 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015