IDEA and IEP's The Tetra-Decagon of Dissability

1. Developmental delay

1.1. This is defined by each state but generally is about a child's lack to develop physically, mentally or emotionally at the same rate as their typical peers.

1.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Modeling of adult emotional behaviors. The scaling back of assignments to scaffold in skills that should already be in the student's toolbox.

2. Emotional disturbance

2.1. Disturbing behaviors relating to inexplicable emotional responses not linked to ability but generally based upon fear.

2.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: One to one intervention in activities that would typically be considered to risky for the child to engage in accompanied by rigidly defined behavioral expectations and overly emphasized positive encouragement for the correct behaviors. Go out on a what the student perceives as a, "narrow limb."

2.3. Josiah is diagnosed with schizophrenia. In his old schools he was not allowed to use scissors. I am working with Josiah today and he has a math assignment to plot a garden of peas that are all spaced 3 inches apart from each other and the edges of the garden plot. He has no interest in this assignment and would rather talk about theories of what would happen to the human body if it where to be released in space. In space, he tells me, no one can hear you scream because there is not an atmosphere to resonate your vocal waves. I say, "Wow, I din't ever think of that!" then I redefine his assignment and tell him he is planting a space garden and each celestial object can not be closer than three light years or they will merge with each other thereby causing complete annihilation. Josiah proceeds to finish the assignment with the new parameters and achieves an exemplar rating on his assignment.

3. Multiple disabilities

3.1. A mix of two or more of the other disabilities listed.

3.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations Should be a mix of accommodations listed in all other sections

4. Orthopedic impairment

4.1. A dysfunction in the bodies ability to develop structure that hinders a students ability to perform in the same manner as students without the physiological imparement

4.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Modified assessments that allow for non written responses or the submittal of work that does not require tidiness. Recordings of oral presentations should be accepted.

5. Other health impairment

5.1. A lack of vitality due to illness that has a negative impact on the student's ability to learn.

5.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: ICT that provide review-able multimedia.

6. Specific learning disability

6.1. As specific disability is a disability in a specific area such as poor coordination, inability to perform mathematical computations It is essentially the inability to think, listen, read, or write.

6.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the types of intervention necessary. This disability is unique in that the interventions can not be generically delineated. It is an open ended intervention and a catch all for yet to be categorized issues.

7. Speech or language impairment

7.1. A difficulty in articulating speech. This can range from stammering to muteness.

7.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to Speech class and multimedia submissions to assignments that require oral presentations.

8. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Oral or braille submissions of assignments. A deaf blind expert should also be included in instruction.

9. Autism

9.1. An affliction of excessive neuro-plasticity most commonly associated with heightened intellect and antisocial behavior.

9.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: A timeline or checklist of the exact work to be completed with a detail of what is expected for each assignment, a solid due time and very literal requirements of how the assignment is to be completed and one on one instruction in regulated intervals.

9.3. Tyler is a student of mine who is diagnosed with anxiety. His behavior more closely resembles that of autism. His parents identify him as ADHD and have tried proven methods for ADHD to get him to perform. After researching autism intervention I architect Tyler's lessons to be written in a very literal format. I make sure to give Tyler adequate notification of the task before him and the expectations of the end product. As a result Tyler has led field trips, given classroom presentations and stays consistently on target with his classwork.

10. Deaf- Blindness

10.1. An inability to process information via audio or visual means

11. Deafness

11.1. The inability to hear.

11.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: ICT that allows for written instruction.

12. Hearing impairment

12.1. The inability to hear conversations at a level that allows comprehension in a conversation held at a rate measured to be the standard decibel level for a conversation.

12.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Hearing amplification devices as well as written text.

12.3. Geno is hard of hearing. The school brought in a noise cancelling blue tooth speaker and microphone device to help him but he will not use it. In place of this device, Geno's teachers have given him a written copy of the expectations of every assignment. Since this has started Geno has moved to the head of his class.

13. Intellectual disability

13.1. A lack of intellectual capability paired with a lack of coping abilities.

13.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Modification of assignment to eliminate extraneous data, ICT implementation intervention such as calculators, repeatable videos and so on.

14. Traumatic brain injury

14.1. Physical brain restructuring caused by impact that inhibits academic and intellectual performance

14.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Modification of assignment to eliminate extraneous data, ICT implementation intervention such as calculators, repeatable videos and so on.

15. Visual impairment, including blindness

15.1. An array of vision problems graduating at total blindness that negatively affect a students ability to perform in school.

15.2. Assessment data should be used to determine the levels of intervention necessary. Accommodations can include but are not limited to: Accommodations using ICT's such as voice thread and audio read-over technologies, braille, or visual tracking apps.