Special Needs and Disabilities Defined
Many people often find it difficult to speak of disabilities because they just don't know what
disabilities are. If the term "disability" can be defined as an inability to do or perform certain functions, then we all have disabilities to some extent (for instance, some of us may be "disabled" in singing, cooking or in swimming). For some people, the disability may be more visible or pronounced than for others. In addition, there can also be a significant amount of variation within a particular disability. With that in mind, below are some very basic definitions of some disabilities people may have (this is NOT a comprehensive
list). In an effort to emphasize the "abilities" that people with special needs have, I have also listed some people who have or have had those disabilities.
ADD/ADHD
Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Individuals with ADD/ADHD may exhibit short attention spans and a
need to be very active. While this does not affect their cognitive
ability (intelligence), it can affect their ability to pay attention or to
attend to one task for long periods of time. Their need for lots of
activity can often be misinterpreted to be behavioral problems.
Famous people who have ADD/ADHD:
actor/comedian, Robin Williams; basketball player, Magic Johnson.
Autism/PDD
Some of the characteristics defining autism and PDD (Pervasive
Developmental Delay) include difficulty in social interactions,
delays in the development of speech and language, and certain
types of restricted, repetitive behavior. People with autism may
exhibit some or all of these characteristics in varying degrees.
In general, the difference between autism and PDD is the
degree to which the characteristics occur.
Famous people who have autism:
author, Donna Williams, "Nobody Nowhere".
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
People with cerebral palsy are affected in that they have difficulty
in controlling their movements. "Cerebral" means having to do
with the brain. "Palsy" means a disorder of movement or posture.
Cerebral palsy can effect cognitive ability -- though not
always. Cerebral palsy can also effect an individual's ability to
walk and speak. Some people with cerebral palsy learn to speak
using communication boards and computers.
Famous people who have/had cerebral palsy:
Irish author/artist: Christy Brown, "My Left Foot."
Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
Children and adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing experience
a wide range of hearing losses. Hearing aids can amplify sound,
but (unlike eye-glasses) they do not necessarily make the sound
clearer. Deafness does not affect cognitive ability. For children,
there are typically delays in language development. Some
people and children who are deaf can speak and read lips, some
cannot. Many know ASL (American Sign Language), some don't.
Famous people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing:
composer, Ludwig von Beethoven; Academy Award-winning actress,
Marlee Matlin, "Children of a Lesser God"
Down Syndrom
Down Syndrome is a genetic condition which effects health and
development in a variety of areas, including speech, gross & fine
motor development (large muscle movements & hand control.)
Individuals who have Down Syndrome may also share some
physical characteristics.
Famous people with Down Syndrome:
actor, Chris Burke, "Life Goes On"
Dyslexia & Other Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia is a learning disability which affects a person's ability to
read. It is a visual sequencing and processing disorder in which
differences between letters and words are difficult to identify.
Other learning disabilities include auditory processing disorders
(difficulty in understanding spoken instructions -- not to be confused
with deafness), dyscalculia (difficulty performing math
operations) and dysgraphia (difficulty controlling fine movements
of the hand so that written work is almost illegible.)
Famous people who have dyslexia or other learning disabilities:
actor, Tom Cruise; US President, Woodrow Wilson; scientist/inventor,
Thomas Edison; mathematician/physicist, Albert Einstein
Speech & Language Delays/Disorders
Speech & language delays encompass a wide range of
communicative disorders, including aphasia and apraxia.
Children and adults who have only speech and language delays,
typically are not affected cognitively. However, because of the
delay in speech and language, children will often be thought to
have cognitive delays because of their inability to respond
appropriately in some testing situations. In addition, there are
occasions where speech and language delays and disorders
are habilitated while the children are young, as well as
occasions where they deteriorate as a result of other disabilities
or disorders. Speech & language can be facilitated using sign
language, communication boards and computers.
Famous people who have/had speech & language delays/disorders:
mathematician/physicist, Albert Einstein;
theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking.
Visual-Impairments & Blindness
Visual-impairments & blindness affect people in different ways.
Some people may see only within a small focused area, with no
peripheral vision, others may see clouded figures. Some may
have spots in certain parts of their visual perception. People with
visual impairments use a variety of resources to aid their perception,
orientation and mobility including CCTV (closed-circuit TV,
magnifying images), Braille, glasses, seeing-eye dogs and canes.
Famous people who have/had visual-impairments:
musician, Stevie Wonder; author, John Milton "Paradise Lost"
In addition to the disabilities listed above, there are also cases
where people may have more than one disability (like Helen
Keller), or have disabilities that do not fall under any category.
Furthermore, there are also individuals whose disability is
solely a physical one (e.g., needing a wheelchair, walker,
crutches or other assistive devices).