Beyond the ordinary
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Disability as defined by I.D.E.A
To qualify for services, kids need to have a disability that impacts their schooling. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) groups disabilities into 14 categories. But this doesn’t mean the law only covers 14 disabilities. Some of the categories cover a wide range of challenges.
Let me take you through the 14 that would be used in schools.
Autism
A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engaging in repetitive activities
and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and
unusual responses to sensory experiences
Deaf- Blindness
Concomitant [simultaneous] hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such
severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be
accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with
blindness.
Deafness
A hearing impairment so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through
hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
Developmental Delay
The term developmental delay, as defined by each State, means a delay in one or more of the following areas: physical development; cognitive development; communication; social or emotional development; or adaptive [behavioral] development.
Emotional Disturbances
A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:
(a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
(d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
(e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.