IEP stand for individualized education program. Individualized education program consists of a statement describing an education program for students with disabilities. This program gets termed individualized because it deals with disabled students individually.
Individual statement describing each student’s education program exists. The main purpose of individualized education program is to ensure that needs of students with disabilities get addressed (Barrera et al., 2003). IEP provides each student with an education plan designed to meet the student’s special needs.
Orthopedic impairment can be defined as a severe impairment that affects the child’s educational performance. Some of these impairments results from diseases such as poliomyelitis or bone tuberculosis.
A child with limb deficiency requires specialized education program because he or she lacks some parts of the body. This orthopedic disorder may result to a student with one or more limbs malfunctioning or missing. In a case where the child has only one limb malfunctioning or missing, it gets easy to handle their case.
For example, if only one arm is malfunctioning the child can be trained to rely on the other arm. Some of individualized education program goals for such students include; ensuring that the child attains the best in education (Barrera et al., 2003). This is made possible by their teachers who modify the learning environment to accommodate the needs of the child with limb deficiencies.
Another goal is to ensure that the child acquires and retains a positive attitude in life. This helps curve situations where children lose hope or develop negative attitudes towards their conditions. They feel unwanted because they do not look like the rest and at times they lack motivation or the urge to live more.
Limb deficiency involves any number of skeletal problems, which may result to a child missing one or more limbs. The disorder may result from illness whereby a child gets affected by diseases such as poliomyelitis or bone tuberculosis. These complications result to malfunctioning of limbs hence making it difficult for the child to play or make move around normally.
In some cases, children get born without some limbs hence making it impossible for them to be independent. This happens before birth. Therefore, such children need to attend to schools where special education teachers handle them accordingly (Adams et al., 2002).
On the other hand, some children may have some limbs fully functioning with others malfunctioning or missing. For example, there may be a case where the child has both arms normal and active and both legs paralyzed. Limb deficiencies can happen in any order, and each case need to be analyzed and handled with care in order to give the affected child his or her right. These rights include right to proper education and the right to life.
Loss of limbs or malfunctioning is a resultant of several problems; therefore, it has few associated problems. However, the greatest problem can be an increase in sedentary lifestyle related complications. This happens because movement remains limited hence reducing activities for the affected person.
It is healthy for the human body to be active because, it helps burn fats that might cause cholesterol related illnesses such as heart attack. If the deficiency is due to amputation, residual limb pains may be experienced by the child hence causing trauma and discomfort (Adams et al., 2002).
The other complication associated with this disorder is skin diseases resulting from the use of prosthesis. Whenever these complications appear the child get advised to see a medical doctor for treatment. This remains encouraged because any abnormal development in the human body can be fatal. Therefore, proper medication needs to be administered by a qualified medical practitioner.
Financial assistance is essential in an education system where individual needs of children have to be addressed. Without adequate financing, education facilities may not be able to employ all required specialist to handle special students. Schools with disabled students need special teaching equipment, and other positioning equipment to be used by students.
For example, in a school with students with limb deficiencies, equipment such as wheel chairs must be purchased to enhance movement of students. This is an expensive exercise because some students may need manual wheel chairs according to ability of their arms (Gorman- Smith et al., 2000).
If their arms are weak to push the manual wheel chair, electrical wheelchairs get used. Therefore, financial assistance is vital in these education systems to make sure that needs of disabled students get addressed in the most appropriate manner possible. In fact, all equipment necessary for achievement of IEP goals must be available for the teacher to help students to his or her best.
Many of limb deficiencies conditions cannot be treated. However, some of the associated conditions can be treated with options such as surgery whereby surgeons can carry out operations on the patient to correct deformities and minimize deficiencies.
For example, they can improve movements of arms hence enabling the child to handle some minor tasks. In cases of limb length discrepancies action such as shoe raises can be taken to enhance smooth movements. This happens when one limb is shorter than the other. A raised shoe is designed for the victim, and this helps him or her walk easily hence reducing deficiency.
Rehabilitation takes place in cases where patients undergo a specialized treatment. For example, if a patient has fixators affixed in his or her fractured bones rehabilitation is noteworthy because close attention is vital. During rehabilitation, a patient follows a schedule of activities comprising of physical and occupational therapy.
All these remain aimed at helping the affected limbs regain normal operations. The patients remain monitored closely by their care givers to ensure that they do not get infections on their limbs. Patients also interact with psychologists during rehabilitation. They get counseled on how to accept their status.
Government officials have to come up with legislation guiding how education should be administered to children with disabilities. A friendly teaching environment is crucial to take care of needs of students with disabilities (Achenbach and Rescoria, 2001).
There should be a curriculum made to accommodate their needs in terms of sports and all aspects inclusive. This will ensure that students with unique needs get appreciated and enjoy being in school just like the other children.
The teacher must make sure he or she understands the disorders exceptionally clearly. When dealing with students with spinal problems, the teacher must make sure the child is in the right condition al, the time (Gorman- Smith et al., 2000).
They should also ensure that they communicate with the child in case they need any help such as going to the toilet. Teachers have responsibilities of assisting children whenever they want to move around, and showing them how to operate some of the supporting equipment such as electrical wheel chairs. They should also make sure that they learn as much as possible by assessing them in person and individually to note on their weak points.
References
Achenbach, T.M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2001). Manual for ASEBA school-aged forms and profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
Adams, C.D., Streisand, R.M., Zawacki, T., & Joseph, K.A. (2002). Living with a Chronic illness: A measure of social functioning for children and adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27(7), 593-605.
Barrera, M., Wayland, L., D’Agostino, N., Gibson, J., Weksberg, R., & Malkin, D. (2003). Developmental differences in psychological adjustment and health related quality of life in pediatric cancer patients. Children’s Health Care, 32(3), 215-232.
Gorman-Smith, D., Tolan, P.H., Henry, D.B., & Florsheim, P. (2000). Patterns of family Functioning and adolescent outcomes among urban African American and Mexican American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 14(3), 436-457.