COURSE CODE: PSY 818-PSYCHOLOGY OF EXCEPTIONAL PERSONS
TOPIC 1-DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONCEPTS
(i) Disability
Disability is an umbrella term for any continuing condition (physical or mental) that restricts a person’s everyday activity. This is not only in relation to the person, but also the setting in which the person exists. This makes disability fundamentally an issue of rights.
(ii) Handicap
It is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability, that prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors for that individual.
(iii) Mental disability
It relates to the person’s thought processes, communication, memory, learning, problem solving and judgement. IQ test is used to determine if a person has intellectual disability.
(iv) Physical disability
This type may either be a motor deficiency (mobility impairment) or a sensory impairment. Motor deficiency related to either spinal cord injury or brain damage, which may occur before birth, during or after birth or after a stroke.
Sensory impairment is related to a person’s sight or hearing, or what is commonly referred to as visual impairment of hearing impairment.
(v) Learning disability
This is a neurological disorder that makes it difficult for a person to store, process and produce information. It is not a mental disability. It can affect a person’s ability to read, compute, speak and write. People with a learning disability exhibit signs like:
Hyperactivity-difficulty to stay at one place or very short attention span.
Memory disorder-difficulty in remembering things that are heard, said or seen a brief moment ago.
Over-attention-a person who can stare or stay focused on something for a long time even if there is a significant distraction.
- Teacher: Remi Orao