Do You Know This Category of Disability?

ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT: 

The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairment caused by disease (example, poliomyelitis, born tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (example; cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or bums that cause contractures). This type of disability affects a child’s educational performances.

Under federal law (IDEA), an orthopedic impairment means a severe bodily impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. An orthopedic impairment involves the skeletal system-bones, joints, limbs, and associated muscles.

CAUSES OF ORTHOPEDICS

The term includes impairments due to the effects of congenital anomaly (examples; clubfoot, absence of some member, rheumatoid Arthritis.), impairments due to the effects of disease (examples; muscular dystrophy and bone tuberculosis.), and impairments from other causes (example; cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

Sub-categories of orthopedic impairment

v  Congenital Anomaly ( Club Foot)           

v  Diseases (Muscular Dystrophy)

v  Other Causes ( Injuries)

CLUB FOOT

Clubfoot describes a range of foot abnormalities usually present at birth in which a person’s foot is twisted out of shape. The term "clubfoot" refers to the way the foot is positioned, like the head of a golf club. Clubfoot is a common birth defect.

 

Causes

The cause of clubfoot isn't known, but scientists do know that clubfoot isn't caused by the position of the fetus in the uterus.

Treatment

Treatment begins soon after birth since babies’ bones are so flexible.  Treatment methods include:

Stretching and casting

This entails manipulating the foot into a correct position and casting it to maintain that position. Repositioning and recasting occurs every week for several weeks. After the shape of the foot is realigned, it's maintained through stretching exercises, special shoes or splinting at night for up to two years.

Surgery

Some severe cases of clubfoot may require surgery. An orthopedic surgeon can lengthen tendons to help ease the foot into a more appropriate   position. After surgery; the child needs to wear a brace for a year or so to prevent recurrence of the deformities. Even with treatment, the defect may not be totally correctable, but treatment usually improves the appearance and function of the foot.

EFFECTS TO LEARNING DOMAINS

Psychomotor

Walking on the side of their feet. This may also cause their calf muscle not grow properly.

Cognitive

 Many children that have clubfoot often go through many surgeries at a very young age. This could cause them to often miss school and be behind.

Affective

The child may worry about their body image as they get older.

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Muscular Dystrophy refers Muscular Dystrophy diseases, Duchenne is the most common.

to a group of genetic, hereditary muscle diseases that weaken the muscles which facilitate the movement of the human body.  There are nine

Causes

These conditions are inherited, and the different muscular dystrophies follow various inheritance patterns. The best-known type, Duchenne Musculary Distrophy (DMD), is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern, meaning that the mutated gene that causes the disorder is located on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes and is thus considered sex-linked.

Treatment

There is no known cure for muscular dystrophy; therefore there is no specific treatment. Inactivity can worsen the disease. Physical Therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and orthopedic instruments (e.g., wheel chairs, standing frames) may be helpful

Symptoms

Progressive Muscular wasting (weakness), Poor Balance, Frequent Falls, Walking Difficulty, Calf Pain, Limited Range of Movement, Muscle Contractures, Respiratory Difficulty, Drooping Eyelids, Scoliosis, Inability to walk.

Muscular Dystrophy’s effect on three domains

Psychomotor

The onset of Muscular Dystrophy will begin with a child who may start to stumble, have difficulty going up stairs and begin to walk on his toes.  As time goes on they might lose the ability to walk.  A child may need to use a wheel chair or leg braces.

Cognitive

Children with Muscular Dystrophy do not really show signs of poor cognitive skills.

Affective

The child may also worry about their body image as they get older. And begin to become very angry towards other and self because his/her condition may be getting worse.

INJURIES

Injuries can include broken or fractured bones, sever burns, sprained joints, and pulled muscles. Anything that is short term and keep a student for performing normal activities.

Causes

Causes can vary from falls, sports accidents, play ground accidents, or any other accidental injury that causes a person to be impaired for some time.

Treatment

Depending on the injury treatment varies. For a broken leg, a cast would be put on for a period of time, then taken off and the person might have some type of therapy.

Effects of injuries on three domains

Psychomotor

Depending on the injury, an individual will lose the ability of using the injured limb.

Cognitive

Usually there is no cognitive effect but if a child has some brain damage they could experience memory loss.

Affective

Some students might now start feeling of being left out.

Conclusion

This category of disability dangerous and its effects to an individual can adversely affect human personality if not intervened early. Parents should be carefully to assess their newly born babies; sports men and women must make sure there are safety environments for their games; and also people should generally be active to observe some controllable risk factors for Orthopedic disability.