Medical Aspects of Disability: Course 4

Course Description:

In this course, we will explore various medical conditions and their potential impact on employability, including:

• Motor Neuron Diseases
• Movement Disorderssome text
  • Ataxia
  • Dystonia
  • Huntington’s Disease
  • MSA (Multiple System Atrophy)
  • Myoclonus
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Tardive Dyskinesia
  • Tourette Syndrome
  • Wilson’s Disease
  • Essential Tremor
• Cerebral Palsy
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Post-Polio Syndrome
• Epilepsy
• Spina Bifida
• Albinism

The Medical Aspects of Disability series is based on the Disability Handbook.

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Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the impact of neuromuscular and other medical conditions on employability.
• Use specific questions and considerations to assess these conditions in vocational terms.
• Develop effective Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE) with disability-related considerations.

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Note from the Author, Jason Andrew, Ph.D.:

This course is written specifically for State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, but it is highly applicable to anyone working with persons who experience disabling conditions. The purpose of the course is to provide pertinent information about specific disabilities that will aid counselors in providing appropriate services to their clients. An attempt was made in this series to cover all the primary disabilities encountered by professionals in vocational rehabilitation.

Under each specific condition, there are additional questions for the initial interview, along with several other subsections designed to provide information that will allow the counselor to assess the medical condition in vocational terms. These subsections include typical considerations for the condition being addressed. However, the counselor should select and use only those questions that are appropriate for the client’s situation. There is also a subsection dealing with specific disability-related items that should be considered on the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

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This course aims to equip VR counselors and professionals with the knowledge needed to address the complexities of neuromuscular and other medical conditions in vocational rehabilitation, supporting tailored and effective client service.