CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL (MOTOR) DISORDER/ IMPAIRMENT
Physical disabilities are divided into two subcategories – Physically impaired and health impaired (Taylor and Sternberg, 1989). Physical disability is a condition affecting the CNS or loss of limbs or other body system. Health impairment is a disease or illness that affect the various organs of the body.
Physical (motor) impairment is generally categorized into two major components: 1. Orthopedic 2. Health related impairments
1. Orthopedic Impairment:- It is a condition related to a physical deformity or disability of the selected system and associated function. This is classified into different forms:
Cerebral Palsy:- A group of neuromuscular disorder that results from damage to CNS. It is characterized by paralysis, weakness and poor co-ordination. It may categorize into specific physical disability groups such as Spasticity, athetoid, ataxic, hypotonic, rigidity and tremor.
Spasticity:- it have tense, contracted muscles and movements are jerky and poorly coordinated, and unable to grasp objects with fingers.
Spastic cerebral palsy is further classified by topographical distributions: --Quadriplegia --Deplegia --Hemiplegia
Quadriplegia:- means that all four limbs (both arms and legs) are affected, movements of the trunk and face may also be impaired.
Deplegia:- refers to a major involvement of the legs, with less severe involvement of the arms
Hemiplegia:- is an impairments of one side of the body.
Athetoid (Extrapyramidal):- characterized by uncontrolled tightening or pulling of muscles. (this will make large, irregular, twisting movements that cannot control)
Ataxic:- it is characterized by movements disrupted by impaired balance-depth perception. (this will make poor sense balance and body position, dizzy while walking and may fall easily if not supported)
Hypotonic:- it has normal movements patterns but lack the tone to initiate or maintain a change in posture.(this will dominated by gravity)
Rigidity:- it has extreme stiffness in the affected limbs; may be fixed and immobile for long periods.
Tremor:- it is marked by rhythmic, uncontrollable movements.
2. Health related impairment
Heart conditions, Asthma, Diabetes, Accident based impairments, Traumatic Brain injury, Spinal cord injuries and burns
Causes of Physical Impairments
-Chromosomal abnormalities –environmental hazards –congenital physical malformation (present at birth) large/small, inside/ outside body –Accidents and viral bacterial diseases.
Identification, assessment and intervention
Identification: Teachers or parents can use the following points to identify children with motor impairments:
has poor motor control or coordination
walks with a limp or with awkwardness
shows signs of pain during exercise
has jerky or shaky motions
has defects which interfere with normal function of the bones, muscles or joints
The teacher can engage the children with mild physical activities to identify the disorder such as: One-legged race and Backwards race.
Symptoms for children with health problems:
They are: - easily fatigued, abnormal in size so cannot participate in the group, excessively restless and overactive, usually breathless after exercise and subject to frequent dry cough, complains of chest pains, inattentive, excessively hungry and thirsty, complaining of pains in arms, legs or joints; and faint easily.
Assessment
Assessments have to do with child’s speech, gesture, touch, movements or any combination of these in direct or code form. The following are some of standardized tests given for children with physical handicaps.
Pre-test of vision, hearing and motor coordination (Grades KG –12)
Oseretsky Test for motor proficiency
Intervention
Educational:
Hands on therapy:- physical, occupational, and other specialists provide direct hands on treatment
Assistive device:- braces and splints (Usually made molded plastic) are used to give a child movement with stability to correct abnormal postures, and to control involuntary motions. Special inserts or wedges can help children sit or stand in positions that are comfortable and suitable for instructional tasks.
Medication:- medicines can help reduce spasticity and rigidity but generally are of only limited usefulness in improving the muscle tone of children with physical disabilities.
Surgery:- Orthopedic or neurologic surgery also helps, although this often regarded as a last resort in the treatment of physical impairments.
Physical disabilities are divided into two subcategories – Physically impaired and health impaired (Taylor and Sternberg, 1989). Physical disability is a condition affecting the CNS or loss of limbs or other body system. Health impairment is a disease or illness that affect the various organs of the body.
Physical (motor) impairment is generally categorized into two major components: 1. Orthopedic 2. Health related impairments
1. Orthopedic Impairment:- It is a condition related to a physical deformity or disability of the selected system and associated function. This is classified into different forms:
Cerebral Palsy:- A group of neuromuscular disorder that results from damage to CNS. It is characterized by paralysis, weakness and poor co-ordination. It may categorize into specific physical disability groups such as Spasticity, athetoid, ataxic, hypotonic, rigidity and tremor.
Spasticity:- it have tense, contracted muscles and movements are jerky and poorly coordinated, and unable to grasp objects with fingers.
Spastic cerebral palsy is further classified by topographical distributions: --Quadriplegia --Deplegia --Hemiplegia
Quadriplegia:- means that all four limbs (both arms and legs) are affected, movements of the trunk and face may also be impaired.
Deplegia:- refers to a major involvement of the legs, with less severe involvement of the arms
Hemiplegia:- is an impairments of one side of the body.
Athetoid (Extrapyramidal):- characterized by uncontrolled tightening or pulling of muscles. (this will make large, irregular, twisting movements that cannot control)
Ataxic:- it is characterized by movements disrupted by impaired balance-depth perception. (this will make poor sense balance and body position, dizzy while walking and may fall easily if not supported)
Hypotonic:- it has normal movements patterns but lack the tone to initiate or maintain a change in posture.(this will dominated by gravity)
Rigidity:- it has extreme stiffness in the affected limbs; may be fixed and immobile for long periods.
Tremor:- it is marked by rhythmic, uncontrollable movements.
2. Health related impairment
Heart conditions, Asthma, Diabetes, Accident based impairments, Traumatic Brain injury, Spinal cord injuries and burns
Causes of Physical Impairments
-Chromosomal abnormalities –environmental hazards –congenital physical malformation (present at birth) large/small, inside/ outside body –Accidents and viral bacterial diseases.
Identification, assessment and intervention
Identification: Teachers or parents can use the following points to identify children with motor impairments:
has poor motor control or coordination
walks with a limp or with awkwardness
shows signs of pain during exercise
has jerky or shaky motions
has defects which interfere with normal function of the bones, muscles or joints
The teacher can engage the children with mild physical activities to identify the disorder such as: One-legged race and Backwards race.
Symptoms for children with health problems:
They are: - easily fatigued, abnormal in size so cannot participate in the group, excessively restless and overactive, usually breathless after exercise and subject to frequent dry cough, complains of chest pains, inattentive, excessively hungry and thirsty, complaining of pains in arms, legs or joints; and faint easily.
Assessment
Assessments have to do with child’s speech, gesture, touch, movements or any combination of these in direct or code form. The following are some of standardized tests given for children with physical handicaps.
Pre-test of vision, hearing and motor coordination (Grades KG –12)
Oseretsky Test for motor proficiency
Intervention
Educational:
Hands on therapy:- physical, occupational, and other specialists provide direct hands on treatment
Assistive device:- braces and splints (Usually made molded plastic) are used to give a child movement with stability to correct abnormal postures, and to control involuntary motions. Special inserts or wedges can help children sit or stand in positions that are comfortable and suitable for instructional tasks.
Medication:- medicines can help reduce spasticity and rigidity but generally are of only limited usefulness in improving the muscle tone of children with physical disabilities.
Surgery:- Orthopedic or neurologic surgery also helps, although this often regarded as a last resort in the treatment of physical impairments.
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