What is a Disability?
What is a Disability?
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The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) look at the concept of disability through a holistic lens, meaning they don't just focus on the health condition as the primary concern but look at the person as a whole, including the mind, body, and spirit (World Health Organization, 2007). The ICF identifies disability as an impairment in body function or structure that cause challenges when participating or engaging in specific activities, social interactions, or a combination of the two (Tofani et al., 2022; World Health Organization, 2007). Because an individual's disability may be visible or hidden, it is critical to focus on the person first and then address their specific needs.
What is Self-Regulation?
What is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is the ability to control energy levels, feelings, thoughts, and behavior in acceptable ways (Ong et al., 2018) and is essential for everybody, especially children. When your child is regulated, they are calm, can make meaningful relationships with others, and can focus. Some self-regulation strategies are things we do without thinking about, like playing/exercising, having a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep. Sometimes kids are unaware that they are dysregulated and are crashing into things or unfocused on the tasks they are performing. These kiddos can struggle with relationships, impulse control, learning, and attention.
Some signs that children are having a difficult time with self-regulation are:
Frequent and long-lasting tantrums
Displays a lack of focus, poor concentration, and can be easily distracted
Poor sleep routine
Is constantly seeking movement or extreme pressure
Constant twirling, moving quickly, leaping, and colliding into things or people
Likes to play alone or find it challenging to play with other kids
Have a difficult time making friends
They have trouble accepting routine adjustments or switching between tasks.
If left unaddressed children can experience challenges with:
School performance
Working/playing in small groups
Home life
Regulating their emotions
Control impulses
Focus on completing a task
Refocus attention on a new task
(Ong et al., 2018)
Key Definitions
Cognition
Merrian-Webster (2020) defines cognition as "conscious mental activities; the activities of thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering".
Developmental Disability
A category of conditions known as developmental disabilities is caused by impairments in the physical, cognitive, language, or behavioral domains. These disorders develop throughout the developmental stage, can affect daily functioning, and often span a person's entire lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
Engagement
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) describes engagement as "objective and subjective aspects of clients' experiences and involves the transactional interaction of the mind, body, and spirit" (AOTA, 2020, p. 6).
Executive Function
Specific skills that help an individual accomplish tasks including planning, time management, working memory, planning, attention, self-control and organization (Gillen, 2018, p. 663)
Fine Motor Functioning
Movements that involve the fingers and the hands. Fine motor skills utilize the coordination and movement needed to perform dressing, eating, and school-based activities (Rodil, 2020).
Gross Motor Functioning
Gross motor skills encompass large body movements such as walking, jumping, running, batting, and throwing and catching a ball (Parr, 2021).
Inclusion
Inclusion creates equal access and opportunity for individuals of diverse abilities to interact meaningfully in a setting creates independence and a feeling of belonging (Arbour-Nicitopoulos et al., 2018). Individuals with disabilities deserve an inclusive environment to participate in preferred activities.
Why is inclusion important?
According to research, inclusive physical activity aims to create equal access and opportunity for physical and psychosocial development for all children and youth (Rimmer et al., 2014).
Intellectual Disability
An intellectual disability is when an individual's capacity to learn and do daily tasks at the expected level is impaired. The severity of intellectual impairment varies significantly among children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019; Suarez & Atchison, 2017). According to Suarez and Atchison (2017), deficits in intelligence (IQ score) and adaptive skills determine if an individual has an intellectual disability. Communication, self-care, social skills, health and safety, and self-direction are some adaptive skills that individuals with intellectual disabilities struggle with (Suarez & Atchison, 2017). The cause of intellectual disability is mainly unknown; however, genetics play a prominent role in the risk factors for having an intellectual disability (Suarez & Atchison, 2017). One common genetic condition that may cause an intellectual disability is Down syndrome (Suarez & Atchison, 2017).
Participation
"Involvement in a life situation" (WHO, 2007, p. 10).
Quality of Life
Hills (2022) defines quality of life as the perception of general well-being.
Sensory Modulation
The Humber Sensory Processing Hub (2020) defines sensory modulation as "the ability to respond appropriately to sensory information and remain at an appropriate level of alertness for activities".
Social Interaction
According to the University of Minnesota (2016), social interaction is "the ways in which people act with other people and react to how other people are acting".
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