These musculoskeletal conditions do not cause lowered intelligence and special education is necessary only to improve the child's mobility deficit, to see that proper posturing and positioning are maintained, to provide for education during times of confinement, and to make the educational experience as normal as possible. Other conditions may also affect students' health and physical abilities, creating a need for special education. Congenital malformations and disorders may involve any organ system and may range from minor to fatal flaws in structure of function. In addition to alcohol, other types of maternal substances abuse also have negative effects on their children. However, the prospects of effective early intervention with children prenatally exposed to drugs is much better than first thought.
Many physical disabilities are fully preventable.
One method of reducing the number of children born with physical disabilities could be to prevent teenage pregnancy. Babies born to teenage mothers are more likely than those born to older mothers to have low birth weight or be born prematurely. Prevention of child abuse could also decrease the prevalence of physical disabilities. The consequences of child abuse may be permanent neurological damage, other internal injuries, skeletal deformity, facial disfigurement, sensory impairment, or death. Abuse and neglect by adults is a leading cause of childhood injury, both physical and psychological injury.