Who do you think of when you hear about a child with disabilities? What kind of impairments might be hidden or invisible?

I think of children with physical impairments e.g.  a learner who stutters, is poor of vision or hearing, has impaired limbs; and also some impairments which may not be visible e.g. hyperactivity, impulsivity, sensory disorders.

This reminds me of a student I taught early in my career. He liked to  participate a lot in class, stuttered and had some sensory motor issue. When he had to explain something he also made lots of gestures and also needed a lot of time to make his point. What I quickly observed was that he gestures complimented what he had to say if he couldn't get his words through e.g. if he was talking about travelling his gestures imitated the action of driving. Although I had limited knowledge on how to teach learners with disabilities, I always encouraged him to speak and also affirmed him before his classmates. He was actually a very gifted learner. His parents were also very supportive. I advocated for this student to be considered in the access arrangements for his high school international examinations given that one of the language speaking exam he had to take had a time limit. My experience with this student really sensitized me to always look out the different learning styles and needs of my students.