Faculty Guide: Motor Impairment

Also see Accommodations and Communication

Motor impairment is the partial or total loss of the function of a body part as a result of a spinal cord injury, amputation, or musculo-skeletal back disorder. Such impairment may result in:

• Muscle weakness
• Diminished stamina
• Lack of muscle control
• Involuntary movements
• Total paralysis
• Reduced levels of function in tasks that require general trunk mobility
• Possible chronic pain. 

 These students may experience:

• Difficulty moving from one location to another
• Impaired writing and/or speaking 
• Difficulty in taking traditional paper and pencil tests.

Because of these variants, the educational expectations for these students will differ greatly in relation to the type of disability.