Special Education Categories and Accommodations (Defined by IDEA)
by Marian Smith
1. Autism
1.1. A developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication
1.1.1. Mozart
2. Deafness
2.1. Hearing impairment so severe that a child is unable to process auditory information, leading to adverse affects in educational performance
3. Deaf-Blindness
3.1. Simulataneous auditory and visual impairment. Causes severe communication, developmental, and educational needs.
3.1.1. Helen Keller
3.1.1.1. Helen Keller
4. Developmental Delay
4.1. A delay in one or more of the following developments: physical, cognitive, communication, social, emotional, adaptive (behavioral).
4.1.1. NOTE:
5. Emotional Disturbance
5.1. Displaying one or more of the following: The inabilities to build and maintain interpersonal relationships, The inability to learn, that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors, Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings, or consistent unhappiness or depression, Develops physical symptoms or fears related to personal or school problems.
5.1.1. Schizophrenia
5.1.2. Personal Issues: Megan's Case Study
6. Hearing Impairment
6.1. Permanent or fluctuating impairment that adversely affects learning.
7. Intellectual Disability (formerly Mental Retardation)
7.1. Significant, subaverage, general intellectual functioning, existing at the same time with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period.
8. Multiple Disabilities
8.1. Having multiple disabilities listed under IDEA, which causes severe learning impairment, and cannot be accommodated solely in a special needs program. NOTE: This does not include Deaf-Blindness
8.1.1. ADHD + a Learning/ Intellectual Disability: Ellie's Case
9. Orthopedic Impairment
9.1. Severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects educational performance. Can be caused by disease, or other causes.
9.1.1. Amputations
9.1.2. Birth defects
9.1.3. Cerebral palsy
9.1.4. ALS
9.1.4.1. Steven Hawking
10. Other Health Impairment
10.1. Having limited strength, vitality, or unbalanced alertness that adversely affect their educational performance.
10.1.1. ADHD
10.1.2. Epilepsy
10.1.3. Diabetes
10.1.4. Asthma
11. Specific Learning Disability
11.1. a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language. NOTE: These are not caused by blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, intellectual, motor disability, or environmental circumstances
11.1.1. Dyslexia
11.1.2. Dyscalculia:
12. Speech or Language Impairment
12.1. A communication disorder that adversely affects educational performance
12.1.1. Stuttering
12.1.2. Impaired articulation
12.1.3. Language Impairment
13. Visual Impairment
13.1. Impairment in vision, that even when corrected, adversely affects a child's educational performance.
13.1.1. Blindness
13.1.2. Partial blindness