Exceptionalities Toolbox
Exceptionalities Toolbox
Exceptionalities Toolbox
Name of
Exceptional
ity
ADHD
(Attention
Deficit
Hyperactive
Disorder)
Anxiety
Disorder
(Emotional
Behavioural
Disorder)
Characteristics &/or
Observable Behaviours
Inattention:
- Fails to give close attention to
details
- Difficulty sustaining attention in
tasks
- Does not seem to listen when
spoken to directly
- Often does not follow through on
instructions and fails to finish
schoolwork, chores or duties in
the workplace
- Often has difficulty organizing tasks
and activities
- Often loses things necessary for
tasks or activities
- Is often easily distracted
- Often forgetful in daily activities.
Hyperactivity:
- Often fidgets with hands or feet or
squirms in seat
- Often leaves seat in classroom or in
other situations in which
remaining seated is expected
- Often has difficulty playing or
engaging in leisure activities
- Often is on the go or as if driven
by a motor
- Talks excessively
Impulsivity:
- Often blurts out answers before
questions are completed
- Has difficulty awaiting turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others.
https://moodle.uleth.ca/20
1501/pluginfile.php/83280/
mod_resource/content/1/Cl
ass
%204%20powerpoint.pdf
EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIOURAL
1. Clear Expectations: At the
DISABILITY (ECS: Code 30;
beginning of the year, clearly
Grades 112: Code 53)
establish your expectations with the
Typically, behaviour disabilities are
students. Have students
characterized by a number of
formulate/build classroom
observable maladaptive behaviours:
expectations to reduce issues with
a) an inability to establish or
non-compliance and confusion.
maintain satisfactory relationships
Explain clear expectations for every
http://education.alberta.ca/
admin/supportingstudent/d
iverselearning/adhd.aspx
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/511987/focus.pdf
http://www.caddac.ca/cms/
page.php?50
http://research.aboutkidsh
ealth.ca/teachadhd
http://www2.ed.gov/rschst
at/research/pubs/adhd/adh
d-teaching.html
Strategies Page 36
http://cecp.air.org/aft_nea
.pdf;
http://www.learnalberta.c
a/content/inmdict/html/a
nxiety_disorders.html;
Smith, T (2012). Chapter
6: Teaching Students
with Emotional or
Behaviors Disorders.
Teaching Students with
Special Needs in
Inclusive Settings. (app.
151-176). Pearson
Code 53
Characteristics. Page
3
(https://moodle.uleth.ca/
201501/pluginfile.php/81
252/mod_resource/conte
nt/1/Special
%20Education%20Coding
%20Criteria.pdf
Code 42
Characteristics Page
7/8 https://moodle.uleth.ca/2
01501/pluginfile.php/812
52/mod_resource/content
/1/Special%20Education
%20Coding
%20Criteria.pdf
Definition http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/a
nxiety
Codes & Incidence
rate http://education.alberta.c
a/admin/supportingstude
nt/schoolleaders/stats/by
code.aspx
4 Major Categories:
-Communication Characteristics
-Social Interaction Characteristics
-Unusual/Challenging Behaviour
Characteristics
-Learning Characteristics
ASD is a disorder, which has a wide
range of characteristics and
observable traits, because of this it
is not realistic to provide a list of
said characteristics or observable
traits because they vary greatly
depending on the individual
student. Some will have more
obvious physical characteristics but
for the most part the exceptionality
manifests in communication and
inclusion settings.
Some Physical Characteristics that
are common are:
Generally thin and small in body
structure
Abnormal gait and posture
Toe Walking
Difficulty with sitting, laying,
crawling and/or walking
Difficulty chewing and/or swallowing
Unusual Sweating
Rashes, Dermatitis, eczema and/or
itching
Deep set eyes
Expressionless faces
In severe cases, children will not
make eye contact
Alberta Education.
Teaching Students with
Autism Spectrum Disorder.
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/511995/autism.pdf
Canadian Psychiatric
Research Foundation.
When Something's Wrong:
Ideas for Teachers: Autism.
http://cprf.ca/publication/p
df/teacher_03_eng.pdf
Organization for Autism
Research. Life Journey
through Autism: An
Educator's Guide.
http://www.researchautism
.org/resources/OAR_Educat
orsGuide.pdf
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/autis
m.html
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/512931/autism5.pdf
http://education.alberta.ca/
admin/supportingstudent/d
iverselearning/autism.aspx
All About Kids:
http://www.aboutkidshealt
h.ca/En/ResourceCentres/a
utismspectrumdisorder/wh
atisasd/Pages/default.aspx
Calgary- Autism in Our
Society
http://www.autismcalgary.c
om/what-is-asd/
WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/br
ain/autism/autismspectrum-disorders
http://www.educateautism.
com/
- This is a teaching aid
much as possible
- Teaching skills in different settings
to ensure understanding and
generalization across environments
- Teaching functional life skills (e.g.,
dressing, grooming), if necessary.Provide hands-on activities rather
than paper and pencil tasks.- Use the
student's areas of interests to teach
new skills (e.g., if the student loves
trains, get him or her to count trains
to develop number skills).- Redirect
attention if the student becomes
overly focused on an area of interest.Use a consistent, agreed-upon
response to manage disruptive
behaviours. Arrange for more indepth evaluation of behaviour, if
needed.- Label and organize personal
belongings, classroom materials and
the physical environment so that the
student knows where things go and
where activities occur.- Reduce
distracting stimuli (e.g., wall
decorations, hum of florescent lights).
- Cover or put away activities when
they are not available to the student
(e.g., computer).
- Present only the materials necessary
for a task and remove any other
items from the student's work area.Consider changes to the environment
or specific tools to assist with the
student's sensory needs.
-Ensure the student has some way of
telling you what he or she wants or
needs. In collaboration with parents
and speech-language pathologists,
determine if augmentative or
alternative communication supports
need to be explored.-Provide
information in visual forms, including
written words, pictures, symbols or
photos. Investigate software
packages for graphic symbols.-Use
pictures to illustrate important
classroom information, such as
schedules, appropriate behaviour and
location of materials.
Blindness /
Low Vision
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/blind
ness.html
http://www.vision.alberta.c
a/
http://education.alberta.ca/
admin/supportingstudent/s
choolleaders/programming
/components.aspx
http://vision.alberta.ca/res
ources/curriculum.aspx
http://setbc.org/teachingbr
aillestudents/default.html
http://www.livestrong.com/
article/126096characteristics-visuallyimpaired-child/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go
v/pubmed/21870909
http://www.education.gov.s
k.ca/vision
CD
(Conduct
Disorder)
Conduct Disorder is a
condition characterized by a
4 Main types of chronic and
persistent pattern of
persistent behaviour:
behaviour in which the basic
rights of others are ignored.
- Aggressive conduct
Children and teens with
conduct disorder tend t be
impulsive and behave in ways - Property damage or theft
that are social unacceptable
and often dangerous.
- Lying
Code: 42
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/cond
uct_disorder.html
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/697934/behaviourcomplete%20for
%20posting.pdf
http://www.macmh.org/pub
lications/fact_sheets/Condu
ct.pdf
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
/pdfdocs/conduct/conduct.
pdf
Cerebral Palsy
Downs
Syndrome
http://www.teachspeced.ca
/cerebral-palsy
http://cerebralpalsy.org/inf
ormation/acceptance/tipsfor-teachers/
https://suite.io/karenplumley/29122g6
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/
specialed/awareness/31.ht
m
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/cereb
ral_palsy.html
http://www.education.alber
ta.ca/admin/supportingstu
dent/diverselearning/ipp.as
px
http://www.education.albe
rta.ca/teachers/resources/
cross/making-adifference.aspx
PE Specific Link
http://www.ala.ca/Images/T
ipSheets/pdfs/Cerebral_Pal
sy_tip_sheet.pdf
Music Specific Link
http://www.themusictherap
ycenter.com/sites/default/fi
les/images/factsheets/mtcc
a_cerebralpalsy.pdf
National Down Syndrome
Society:
http://www.ndss.org/DownSyndrome/What-Is-DownSyndrome/
Students with
disabilities/medical
ELL
(English
Language
Learners)
conditions:
http://www.education.alber
ta.ca/admin/supportingstu
dent/diverselearning.aspx
Mayo Clinic Down
Syndrome:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/
diseases-conditions/downsyndrome/basics/symptom
s/con-20020948
Canadian Down Syndrome
Society:
http://www.cdss.ca/
Special Education Coding
Criteria
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/825847/spedcoding
criteria.pdf
Down's Syndrome
Classroom strategies.
http://scotens.org/2008/10/
teaching-pupils-withdowns-syndrome/
Diverse Learning Needs
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/down
_syndrome.html
English As A Second
Language: Learning
and Teaching Resources:
http://education.
alberta.ca/teachers/
program/esl/resources.Asp
x
FASD
Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum
Disorder
and relationships.
-Cooperative learning.
-ELL students benefit from receiving
feedback in a respectful and
encouraging way from peers.
-Include lots of interaction among
students. (Encourage ELL students to
work with non-ELL students).
-Guided practice.
-Involve the parent community, at
school and home, and supply them
with support as well.
-Have schedules posted daily.
-As teachers demonstrate knowledge
of their culture and show interest in
their background.
-Regularly scheduled routines and
events.
-Clear lesson formats across all
subjects from day to day.
Supporting English
Language Learners:
http://www.edu.gov.
on.ca/eng/document
/esleldprograms/guide
.pdf
Supporting English
Language Learners
-http://www.learnalberta.ca
/content/eslapb/index.html
What Administrators Need
to Know About English
Language Learners and
ESL Programming
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/6550092/eslstudent
s.pdf
Gifted
- Giftedness is exceptional
potential and/or performance
across a wide range of
abilities in one or more of the
following areas:
gener
al intellectual
specifi
c academic
3.
neurological systems that become
easily overwhelmed by stimulation.
- May show irritability, volatile
anger, shut downs or other
withdrawal behaviours. Other
emotional difficulties include
obsessive repetitions of certain
actions, or perseveration of
particular actions or ideas.
Tend to:
- Remember with little practice
- Work quickly
- See abstract relationships,
patterns, alternative views
- Generate explanations, theories,
ideas, and solutions
- Show curiosity and/or strong
interests
BC Education: Teaching
Students with FASD
Resource
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/
specialed/fas/
University of South Dakota
FASD Educational
Strategies http://www.usd.edu/medica
l-school/center-fordisabilities/upload/fasdedu
cationalstrategies.pdf
creati
social
music
artisti
ve thinking
al
c
kinest
hetic
Can also be explained in
three broad areas: advanced
intellectual ability, abundant
creativity, and heightened
emotions and sensitivities
Code: 80
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/learni
ng_disabilities.html
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/511999/unlocking.p
df
http://www.ncld.org/atschool/especially-forteachers
http://www.ldanatl.org/abo
utld/teachers/index.asp
A condition characterized by a
persistent pattern of
aggressive and defiant
behaviour and a need to
annoy or irritate others.
Code: 42
Williams
Syndrome
http://education.alberta.ca/
media/697934/behaviourcomplete%20for
%20posting.pdf
http://www.macmh.org/pub
lications/fact_sheets/ODD.
pdf
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
/pdfdocs/conduct/CONDUC
T.pdf
http://www.learnalberta.ca/
content/inmdict/html/oppo
sitional_defiant.html
Williams Syndrome
Association:
https://williamssyndrome.org/what-is-
williams-syndrome
Students with
disabilities/medical
conditions:
http://www.education.alber
ta.ca/admin/supportingstu
dent/diverselearning.aspx
Williams syndrome
foundation. Guidelines for
teachers:
http://www.williamssyndrome.org.uk/resources
/free_publications/Guidelin
es%20for%20Teachers.pdf