Response to Mental Retardation: Prader Willi Syndrome

Alyssa Forte
Professor Alfano
CPSY 1001
3 December 2007

The original disability that I wrote about was writing disabilities. The second disability category that I was assigned was Prader Willi Syndrome. Prader Willi Syndrome differs from a writing disability because Prader Willi Syndrome is classified as genetic based mental retardation and a writing disability is classified as a learning disability. Prader Willi Syndrome is caused by an abnormality on chromosome 15. There is no specific cause for a writing disability. Prader Willi Syndrome can lead to cognitive disabilities, such as a writing disability so the two disabilities are connected in a cause and effect relationship. Prader Willi can also lead to physical disabilities, such as low muscle tone, an uncontrollable appetite, and a person who has this will be shorter in height than others. A writing disability does not cause any physical disabilities. Both are similar in the fact that people with Prader Willi Syndrome and writing disabilities are more likely to have other disabilities than people who do not have either of these.
Developmental characteristics for people with Prader Willi Syndrome are more physical while they are more educational / learning related for people with writing disabilities. Developmental characteristics of people with Prader Willi Syndrome include speech delay, learning disabilities, poor physical coordination, overeating, obesity, diabetes, scoliosis, skin which easily bruises, oversleeping, learning delays, delayed motor development, and infertility. Developmental characteristics of people with writing disabilities include problems developing spelling skills, illegible handwriting, forming letters incorrectly, and reversing letters. Other difficulties people with writing disabilities have are with word and letter spacing, phonics, and differentiating between the singular and plural forms of a word. Both disabilities affect a person academically and people with both disabilities will need extra help in the classroom.
Being a teacher of any student with a disability requires many accommodations and modifications. Both students with Prader Willi Syndrome and writing disabilities will have IEPs, which all teachers should be familiar with. Students with Prader Willi Syndrome should be seated in the front of the room to prevent them from falling asleep or being distracted. Students with Prader Willi Syndrome also should not be tempted with food because they overeat, so using food as a reward would not be good for them. Students with writing disabilities would benefit from a reduced amount of note taking and reinforced learning of how letters are formed. Both students with PWS and writing disabilities would have more time on tests and different kinds of tests, such as not having them do essay tests. Both students with PWS and writing disabilities would be incorporated into whatever classroom they are assigned to by working in groups with classmates. Using assistive technology would help all students with disabilities as well as students who do not have them.