Other Functional Disabilities
Accommodations | Acquired
or Traumatic Brain Injury (ABI/TBI)
Other Functional Disabilities
Other functional limitations are defined as: ". . . any other dysfunction of a body
part or process which necessitates the use of supportive services or programs, and which
does not fall within the categories listed above. This category may include students with
epilepsy, diabetes and other non-visible dysfunctions."
A large number of students registered at CSUF have disabilities that do not necessarily
fall into major categories already discussed, but are covered by Section 504 and the ADA.
The degree to which these disabilities affect students in the academic setting vary widely.
At times, it is not the condition itself, but the medication that is required to control
symptoms, that impairs academic performance. Common side effects of medications include
fatigue, memory loss, shortened attention span, loss of concentration and drowsiness. In
some cases, the degree of impairment may vary from time to time because of the nature of
the disability or the medication. Some conditions are regressive and others may be stable.
May Include:
• extended time for exams
• enlarged print materials
• readers or tape recorded course materials
• computers or other adaptive equipment
• scribes
• flexibility in attendance requirements in cases of health-related absences
• other accommodations found elsewhere in this guide
A student is required to make-up missed assignments and tests.
Head injury is one of the fastest growing types of disabilities, especially in the age
range of 15 to 28 years. More than 500,000 cases are reported hospitalized each year. There
is a wide range of differences in the effects of an ABI/TBI on the individual, but most
cases result in some type of impairment. The functions that may be affected include memory,
cognitive/perceptual communication, speed of thinking, communication, spatial reasoning,
conceptualization, psycho-social behaviors, motor abilities, sensory perception, and physical
abilities.
Students with ABI/TBI may have difficulty with one or more of the following:
 organizing thoughts,
cause-effect relationships and problem solving
processing information
and word retrieval
generalizing and integrating
skills
interacting with others
compensating for memory
loss
Accommodations
May be similar to those for students with learning disabilities.
There are important differences that affect the educational program of a student with an
acquired head injury, as compared to students with learning disabilities.
A student with ABI/TBI may:
need established routine
with step-by-step directions
need books and lectures
on tape
need repetition or
some type of reinforcement of information to be learned
demonstrate poor judgment
and memory problems
exhibit discrepancies
in abilities, such as reading comprehension at a much different level than spelling ability
A partial list of other functional disabilities includes:
|
AIDS
|
|
Arthritis
|
|
Asthma
|
|
Burns
|
|
Cancer
|
|
Cardiovascular disorders
|
|
Cerebral palsy
|
|
Chronic pain
|
|
Diabetes mellitus
|
|
Epilepsy
|
|
Hemophilia
|
|
Lupus
|
|
Motor neuron diseases
|
|
Multiple sclerosis
|
|
Muscular dystrophy
|
|
Renal-kidney disease
|
|
Respiratory disorders
|
|
Sickle-cell anemia
|
|
Post-stroke
|
|
Tourette’s syndrome
|
Due to the nature of the disability, the degree of impairment may fluctuate. Therefore,
accommodation needs may vary throughout the semester.
Back to top
|
