Lifelong Learning: People with Disabilities

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People with disabilities face many obstacles throughout their life. There are many things that can be done to ensure that a person with disabilities reaches their full potential. People with disabilities face many issues pertaining to lifelong learning such as; the beginning diagnosis, early intervention, assessments, educational progress and transitional programs. Diagnosis of Developmental Disabilities Arnold Gessell developed the milestones at which one progress through normal development (Cook, Lyon, and Blacher, 2007). Developmental delay is apparent when an infant or child fails to reach the developmental milestones within a reasonable time period (Cook, Lyon, and Blacher, 2007). Children develop at varying rates so a doctor will take into consideration the time period at which it takes for a child to reach a milestone before determining if delay is apparent. An example of a child not reaching a developmental milestone would be if a child was not saying any words by the time the child was two. According to the Center for Disease Control a child will usually start to say single words at about eighteen months. Early Intervention Priorities Once a child is diagnosed as developmentally delayed parents may feel at fault and not know where to turn for help. The Federal Government has mandated intervention services for children age’s birth to five years with disabilities (Brown, 2007). At the age of three a child that is delayed or has a genetic disorder will receive intervention in a pre-school setting. This setting would help the child reach the milestones necessary to enter kindergarten. A program such as this helps a child to be placed in an inclusive classroom; which would allow the child to be successful in the lea... ... middle of paper ... ...n?qurl=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileyse/curriculum_for_students_with_severe_disabilities/0>. "DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY." Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals. N.p.: Wiley, 2007.Credo Reference. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 May 2014. . Hardman, Michael L., Clifford J. Drew, and M. Winston. Egan. Human Exceptionality: School, Community, and Family. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2005. Print. "Important Milestones: Your Child at Three Years." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 May 2014. .

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