Understanding Students with Disabilities · 4 min read
Disability Categories and Characteristics
Every eligibility decision starts with two questions. Does the student have a disability that fits one of the categories defined in IDEA, and, because of that disability, does the student need specially designed instruction? A student who meets only the first test (a diagnosis with no need for special education) may still qualify for a Section 504 plan, but not for an IEP.
The Thirteen IDEA Disability Categories
Federal regulations define thirteen categories. Ohio uses the same categories in its Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities. Know the defining features of each, because exam scenarios often describe a student and ask which category or which need fits best.
| Category | Defining features to recognize |
|---|---|
| Specific learning disability (SLD) | Disorder in basic psychological processes affecting listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or math; includes dyslexia. Not primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disability, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, cultural or economic factors, or limited English proficiency. |
| Other health impairment (OHI) | Limited strength, vitality or alertness (including heightened alertness to environmental stimuli) due to chronic or acute health problems such as ADHD, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions or sickle cell anemia. |
| Autism | Significant difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, usually evident before age 3; repetitive activities, resistance to change, unusual sensory responses. |
| Emotional disturbance (ED) | One or more of five characteristics over a long period and to a marked degree (see below). Students who are only socially maladjusted are excluded unless they also have ED. |
| Speech or language impairment | Communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment or a voice impairment. |
| Intellectual disability (ID) | Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning (typically an IQ near 70 or below) existing together with deficits in adaptive behavior, shown during the developmental period. |
| Visual impairment including blindness | Impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects educational performance; includes partial sight and blindness. |
| Deafness / Hearing impairment | Deafness: so severe the child cannot process linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification. Hearing impairment: permanent or fluctuating loss that is not deafness. |
| Deaf-blindness | Concomitant hearing and visual impairments causing such severe communication and other needs that programs for deafness or blindness alone cannot meet them. |
| Orthopedic impairment | Severe physical impairment, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, amputations or fractures and burns that cause contractures. |
| Traumatic brain injury (TBI) | An acquired injury to the brain caused by external physical force; not congenital, degenerative or birth-trauma injuries. |
| Multiple disabilities | Concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability with orthopedic impairment) that need programs beyond those for one impairment; does not include deaf-blindness. |
States may also use developmental delay for children ages 3 through 9 (or a subset of that range) who show delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional or adaptive development.
High-Incidence and Low-Incidence Disabilities
Identifying a Specific Learning Disability
IDEA does not allow a state to require a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement. States must allow a process based on the child's response to scientific, research-based intervention (RTI/MTSS) and may permit a pattern of strengths and weaknesses approach. Before identifying SLD, the team must also rule out a lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math by reviewing data showing the student received appropriate instruction from qualified personnel and repeated assessments of progress.
The Five Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance
- An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors
- An inability to build or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers
- Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
- A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
- A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems
Characteristics Across Domains
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