IDEA's 13 Disabilities

Deafness Ans- a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Autism Ans- 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 engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. Deaf-Blindness Ans- concomitant 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. Emotional Disturbance Ans- 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. Hearing Impairment Ans- impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. Intellectual Disability Ans- significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Multiple Disabilities Ans- concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation- blindness or mental retardation-orthopedic impairment), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. Multiple disabilities does not include deaf-blindness. Orthopedic Impairment Ans- a severe impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). Other Health Impaired Ans- having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that-- (i) Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome; and (ii) Adversely affects a child's educational performance. Specific Learning Disability Ans- disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. (ii) Disorders not included. Does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage Speech or Language Impairment Ans- a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Traumatic Brain Injury Ans- acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. Does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma. Visual Impairment Ans- an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. Accommodations for Other Health Impaired Ans- A.D.D If child: Is unable to keep up during classroom discussions and/or note taking Try: Providing peer assistance in note taking and ask student questions to encourage participation in discussions A.D.H.D If child: Is constantly engaging in attention-getting behavior Try: Ignoring minor inappropriate behavior DIABETES If child: Cannot partake in a lesson using food or candy Try: Finding out if there is anything that he/she can eat (sugarless candy or different treats that can personally motivate them) page 1 2 next » Accommodations for Deafness Ans- Provide Closed Captioning for Visual/Auditory entertainment Captioning or scripts for announcements, television, videos, or movies Provide supplemental materials to reinforce concepts Sign language instruction Accommodations for Emotional Disturbance Ans- If child: Had long pervasive bouts of being sad and has low self-confidence Try: Complimenting positive behavior and work; give student opportunity to act in leadership role Accommodations for Intellectual Disability Ans- If child intellectually functions subaverage in behavior and development Try: Work with fewer items per page or line and/or materials in a larger print size Record a lesson, instead of taking notes Have another student share class notes with him Be given an outline of a lesson Accommodations for Hearing Impairment Ans- Obtain student's attention prior to speaking Reduce auditory distractions (background noise) Use of visual supplements (overheads, chalkboard, charts, vocabulary lists, lecture outlines) Buddy system for notes, extra explanations/directions Accommodations for Autism Ans- Have a set routine for the school day. For younger students, provide a picture schedule. The schedule can be posted for all students to use or a small, desktop version can be created. Some students may do well if tasks are held with Velcro so they can remove them as the task is completed. Provide adequate notice for any change of schedule, except in cases of emergency. Provide lessons by giving a short summary of what will be covered, a detailed explanation and finish with a summary of the lesson. Provide an area of the classroom the student can retreat to in times of high stimulation or when overwhelmed. Identify distractions and take steps to minimize them. For example, if a child is sitting close to the heater, is it making noise that is distracting to the student Speech or Language Impairment (Expressive Language Impairment) Ans- Inability to express one's thought's or needs to others. Speech of Language Impairment (Receptive Language Impairment) Ans- Inability to comprehend what other's say. Accommodations for Visual Impairment Ans- Adjust lighting for alternative source and illumination type (natural, incandescent, halogen, fluorescent) Use large print in communications and documents; also use electronic and braille communications Use large print, braille labels, or tactile dots on equipment, tools, facilities, and documents Provide magnification devices (e.g., magnifying glasses) Modifications for Students with Autism Ans- Let him/her write about his favorite topics. Use semantic maps, diagrams, story webs to help him/her create a clear path for his writing and what information is important. Most students with ASD find any and all facts to be important so have difficulty with main ideas and supporting details. This would be a good area to focus your instruction beginning at a very basic level. Use a template at the beginning to get the student started. This strategy also gives him/her concrete information about what your expectations are for his written work. A Daily Journal template for a 1st grader may look like "Today we _________ at school. I learned about _______. I liked ____________."