Chapter 6: Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
Chapter-At-A-Glance
Instructor’s Overview and Outline
Chapter 6 is the first of three chapters that address specific disabilities and other special needs that
students may have. It provides information about federal categories of disability and addresses
adaptations that are unique to students with these needs (e.g., the use of braille for students with visual
impairments). It outlines the characteristics and needs of students with low-incidence disabilities,
including students with moderate or severe intellectual impairments, multiple disabilities, hearing
impairments, visual impairments, deaf-blindness, autism spectrum disorders, medical and health
disabilities, physical disabilities and traumatic brain injury. As in other chapters, the INCLUDE strategy
is integrated to keep students thinking about how to best meet the needs of the students in their
classrooms. Examples of assistive technology are also presented in this chapter.
Learning Objectives
Instructor’s Resources
Media Supplements
Low-incidence
disabilities; applying the
INCLUDE strategy
Key Terms & Concepts
o Low-incidence disabilities
o Questions to ask
Activities #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11
o Low-incidence disability-specific sites
o TASH: http://www.tash.org
Characteristics of
students and supports for
moderate, severe, or
multiple disabilities
Activities #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
students and supports for
physical, medical, or
health disabilities
Activities #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11
o http://www.sicklecelldisease.org
o Asthma and Allergy Foundation
Key Terms & Concepts
o Generalization
o Down syndrome
o Natural supports
o Augmentative and alternative
communication
o The Arc http://www.thearcinc.org/
o United Cerebral Palsy
http://www.ucp.org
o TASH
o Down Syndrome: http://www.nads.org
Activities #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11
A. What are low-incidence disabilities?
B. What area characteristics of and instructional needs of students with autism spectrum disorders?
1. Characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorders
a. Social relationships
2. Instructional supports for students with autism spectrum disorders
a. Responding to behavior
b. Fostering social interactions
c. Communicating with students
C. What are characteristics of and instructional needs of students with moderate, severe, or multiple
disabilities?
1. Characteristics of students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities
2. Instructional supports for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities
a. Match expectations to instruction
3. Students with multiple disabilities
4. Deaf-blindness
D. What are characteristics of and instructional supports for students with sensory impairments?
1. Students with visual impairments
2. Characteristics of students with visual impairments
3. Instructional supports for students with visual impairments
4. Students with hearing loss
5. Characteristics of students with hearing loss
6. Instructional supports for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
E. What are characteristics of and instructional supports for students with physical, medical or health
disabilities?
1. Orthopedic impairments
2. Instructional supports for students with orthopedic impairments
3. Other health impairments
a. Students with seizure disorders
d. Additional disorders and conditions that may affect students
4. Instructional supports for students with health impairments
5. Traumatic brain injury
F. Wrapping up
2. Summary
Learning Objectives
1. Describe low-incidence disability and how to apply INCLUDE strategies.
3. Describe moderate, severe, and multiple disabilities and how to apply supports.
5. Identify physical, medical, and health impairments and how to apply accommodations and
supports.
6. Analyze your own beliefs about inclusive practices related to low-incidence disabilities.
Key Terms and Concepts
Asthma or allergies
Augmentative and alternative communication
Autism
Autism spectrum disorder
Cerebral palsy
Cluster program or district class
Down syndrome
Echolalic speech
Expanded core curriculum
Video modeling
Visual impairments
Visual schedules
Activities and Discussion Questions
1. Have students identify low-incidence disabilities they would like to study (you may need to narrow
the list so you have topics for groups of three to four students.) Then, ask students to form groups of
2. Guest Speakers: Invite a vocational counselor, job coach, and/or transition specialist to class to
3. Encourage students to volunteer in private and public agencies that emphasize services for students
4. Have students identify local agencies for students with low-incidence disabilities and their families.
Assign them to visit the agencies to learn about the purpose and membership of the organizations,
5. Because the topic of inclusion for students with low-incidence disabilities can often be controversial,
have students work in small groups to identify the benefits and challenges of teaching a class group
6. Have students visit an elementary school library or the children’s section of their local public library.
They will review the children’s books that include characters that have low-incidence disabilities
7. If students are spending time in a classroom as part of your course, ask them to write out the schedule
for one day in that classroom. Then, ask students to create two different interactive formats of the
8. If you have access to a business or other facility specializing in making adaptations for individuals
with disabilities, arrange a field trip. For example, a local electronics lab might be creating
9. Ask students to research and create a compilation of simple suggestions for interacting with
individuals with hearing or visual impairments. The results could be used as part of the class
10. Have students work in small groups to research and create a list of generally recommended
11. Using the INCLUDE handouts in the appendix, provide students with initial practice in applying the
first four steps in the INCLUDE strategy while focusing on students with low-incidence disabilities.
Break students into small groups and distribute copies of the handout to each group. Direct each
12. Challenge students to work in teams to design an instructional activity for students with serious
intellectual disabilities that includes a plan for maintenance of the skill learned and for generalization
of the skill across settings and times (hint: include natural supports).
Web Links
Instructor Resources
Web Based Content Resources
Additional Readings
Blake, J.J., Lund, E. M., Zhou, Q., Kwok, O.M., & Benz, M.R. (2012). National prevalence rates of bully
victimization among students with disabilities in the United States. School Psychology Quarterly,
27(4), 210-222.
Bowen, S. K., & Ferrell, K. A. (2003). Assessment in low-incidence disabilities: The day-to–day realities.
113.
Downing, J. E., & Eichinger, J. (2003). Creating learning opportunities for students with severe
disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children, 36(1), 26–31.
Ferrell, K. A. (2006). Evidence-based practices for students with visual disabilities. Communication
Disorders Quarterly, 28, 42–48.
