At Rabbit School children and young adults are affected by different types of intellectual disability such as the following:

Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder. This means that the brain develops differently. The cause is unknown.

Students with Autism find social situations difficult and can find being with others overwhelming. This is called sensory overload. They may be extra sensitive to noise smell touch or taste. Students with Autism may display the same behaviour and like engaging in the same activities several times a day. This is common for students with Autism and is called repetitive or restrictive behaviour.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a brain injury which can happen during pregnancy, during birth or just after birth. This means the brain develops differently. This affects the muscles in the body.

Skills that are affected include:

Movement

Posture

Coordination

Sometimes cognition (the ability to learn new things), speech, swallowing and dribbling can be affected in some students.

Downs Syndrome

Students with Downs Syndrome have an intellectual disability. This means that they learn slower than other people.

There facial features are different to other people.

It is very common for students with Downs Syndrome to have speech difficulties. They have difficultly moving their tongue to produce the sounds needed to speak. This means that it may be difficult to understand what a student with Down syndrome is saying.