LOW INCIDENCE DISABILITIES ARE SEVERELY DISABLING CONDITIONS.

Students with low-incidence disabilities make up less than 20 percent of all the students with disabilities in schools. Most students with low-incidence disabilities receive special education services since birth. Students with low-incidence disabilities often have many supports and extensive assistance. Students with low-incidence disabilities need the same type of attention as other students, but may need more assistance from paraprofessionals or personal assistants .

Federal disability categories of low-incidence disabilities include: Mental retardation, multiple disabilities (one disability cannot be identified as the primary), hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments (limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems), visual impairments, autism, deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, and developmental delay.

The following are suggested questions for teachers to ask when you have a student with a low-incidence disability in your classroom:

1.     What are the student’s strengths?

2.     What activities and rewards does the student most enjoy?

3.     What are the student’s needs in these domains: academic? Social? Emotional? Behavioral?

4.     Does the student have physical or health needs that require my attention?

5.     What else should I know about the student?

6.     What are the most important instructional goals for the student? Also, in terms of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral.

7.     What are the goals for the student to be working on throughout the school day?

8.     If a question arises regarding the student, whom should I talk to?

9.     Does the student have a professional assisting them?

10. What other services will the student need to access?

11. Do I need to make physical adjustments for the students?

12. Do I need to adjust expectations because of physical or health needs?

13. How can I best accommodate the student?

Autism is a developmental disorder. It appears in children during the first three years of life and affects brain development in terms of social and communication skills. Since being identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, there has been great debate over the disorder. What causes autism? Are vaccines safe? Is it hereditary? Why does autism affect boys more often than girls? Is education a factor? Is lifestyle a factor? Is there a cure?

Autism is unique in that it comes in many forms. These forms are defined by the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) which cause impairments to social interaction and communication. In your classroom, it is important to be aware of potentially stressful situations. People with autism typically resist human interaction, have difficulty producing words to communicate thoughts, do not like change, have a narrow range of interests, and complete actions continuously, just to name a few. In order to accommodate students with autism, create a comfortable and consistent environment. Come up with a routine and establish procedures for students. If students do not communicate well with words, come up with different ways to communicate; for example, sign language or pictures.

Accommodating students is important. It is important to recognize student disabilities as moderate or severe and recognize if students have multiple disabilities. After, you may correctly identify student needs to best bridge the gap between behavior, academic, and social skills in relation to students without disabilities and to help the student succeed to the best of their ability. Objectives for teaching students with low-incidence disabilities should include: recognition of pictures for expressive communication, following directions, interacting with peers positively, making decisions, and working independently. Although those tasks seem trivial or routine to a person without disabilities, these are often the most difficult tasks for students with autism to complete and carry out on a daily basis.

What does the student need? How slowly or quickly do they learn a skill? How can you help students maintain their learned skills or knowledge?

Other low-incidence disabilities include deaf-blindness disabilities. 

Visual impairments fall between two categories, low vision and blind. 

• Speak to the class upon entering and leaving the room or site.

• Call the student with a vision impairment by name if you want his/her attention.

• Seat the student away from glaring lights (e.g. by the window) and preferably in front of the class.

• Use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left, etc. in relation to the student's body orientation. Be specific in directions and avoid the use of vague terms with unusable information, such as "over there", "here", "this", etc.

• Describe, in detail, pertinent visual occurrences of the learning activities.

• Familiarize the student to the classroom. 

• Give verbal notice of room changes, special meetings, or assignments.

• Offer to read written information for a person with a visual impairment, when appropriate.

• Order the appropriate text books for the students in their preferred medium.

• Identify yourself by name, don't assume that the student who is visually impaired will recognize you by your voice even though you have met before.

• If you are asked to guide a student with a visual impairment, identify yourself, offer your services and, if accepted, offer your arm to the student's hand. Tell them if they have to step up or step down, let them know if the door is to their left or right, and warn them of possible hazards.

• Let the student know if you need to move or leave or need to end a conversation.

• Routinely check the instructional environment to be sure it is adequate. 

• When communicating with a student who has a vision impairment, always identify yourself and others who are present.

• Do not pet or touch a guide dog. Guide dogs are working animals. It can be hazardous for the visually impaired person if the dog is distracted.

• It is not necessary to speak loudly to people with visual impairments.

• Always notify changes of class schedule in advance.

Hearing impairments fall under three categories: deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind. Deafness is an invisible disability, you can not see if a student is deaf, it has to be portrayed through conversation and informative knowledge. Therefore, do not ever forget the student is in the room simply because they are paying attention to you. 

• Use facial expressions, gestures, and other body language to convey your message. 
• Get the attention of a student with a hearing impairment before speaking and communicating and always face the student.
• If not facing a student with a hearing impairment, gently touch a student on the shoulder or on the arm to indicate that you want to talk to him/her.
• Do not be alarmed if the student does not understand and you cannot understand him/her.  It takes time.
• When communicating, always face the student with a hearing impairment.
• For reinforcement repeat new vocabulary in different contexts.
• Sequence topics so that new material is related to that previously learned (which is helpful for all students). 
• Use visual aids. 
• Use written announcements assignments, due dates, exam dates, changes in the class schedule, special event dates, etc.).
• Provide an outline in advance of the lesson or activity.
• Use captioned DVDs or videos.
• Use interpreter if needed.
• Avoid seating the student in heavy traffic areas.
• Do not touch or pet a hearing dog. 
• Avoid vibrations and excessive noise.
• Write legibly on the board.
• Eliminate background noises. 
• Establish emergency procedures with the student. 
• Get the attention of a person with a hearing impairment before speaking.
• If necessary, use written notes to communicate..
• Ask the student where he or she would like to sit. 

Students with low-incidence disabilities may not always learn as much as other students, but it is important to meet the individual student's goals (academic, social, behavioral, and emotional). Most students in this group have social and emotional challenges. It is important to be sensitive to the differences. All students have a place in the general education classroom regardless of their disability. Teachers should make accommodations to best suit all students.