Physical Impairment - Curriculum

A physical impairment was defined by the speakers as, " a dysfunction of the musculoskeletal and/or  neurological body systems, which affects the functional ability of a student to move or coordinate movement" (Education Queensland). The range of physical impairments is extremely broad, from difficulties with holding a pencil to being wheelchair bound. There are many conditions which can cause a physical impairment including cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a stroke just to name a few. This presentation focused mainly on highlighting how we can adapt our teaching, planning, assessment and resources to best cater for a student with a physical impairment.

The speakers utilised their time during the presentation and split us into small groups so we could experience a particular physical impairment on a closer scale. The continuing ideas that developed from each activity came down to one main thing, "don't change the content, change the ways in which the content can be expressed or delivered". The speakers ensured the audience understood small details that need attention but might not be noticed by a classroom teacher without close attention. These included things such ; bags dragging on the floor from a wheelchair, wheelchair height constricting students access to sitting at a desk, holding pencils, slippery paper and others. The presentation showed that the examples listed can be minimised through adapting the classroom environment. They posed questions such as, what can we change, move, add or take away to provide an accessible and comfortable environment for students with a physical impairment. I learned that in order to provide students with a physical impairment with an accessible classroom I first need to understand how they are using their bodies and energy to complete tasks and then adapt the environment accordingly - e.g. desk height, placement of equipment, position in classroom etc. 

The speakers suggested several ideas in how to cater for a student with a physical impairment and the main points I took away were to:

• build collaborative partnerships with the parents, carers and professionals related to well being and education of the child. 
• become knowledgeable in any specialised equipment or resources being used in order to educate other students or staff members to further assist the child with a physical impairment.
• present information in different ways according to the needs of the child, e.g. use ICT and recordings.
• to be flexible and manage my time well.
• to make accommodations for learning and assessment, e.g. allowing the student to respond by video rather than writing in a journal.
• continuously engage in reflective practice and professional development so I am up to date on my knowledge.