Categories of Disability in Federal Special Education Law 1

SPED/531 Version 2

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Categories of Disability in Federal Special Education Law
Research the federal special education categories in IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act).

Complete the following chart about the 14 categories of special education. The first row has been filled in
for you as an example. List any references you used below the chart.

Federal Disability Term Alternative Terms (if Brief Description

applicable)
Specific learning Learning disability (LD) A disorder related to processing information that
disability leads to difficulties in reading, writing, and
computing; the most common disability,
accounting for half of all students receiving
special education
Autism ASD Developmental disability that affects the child’s
ability to socially interact and communicate
verbally and nonverbally; often seen before age
3 and characterized by repetitive activities,
inability to adjust to change and often runs co-
morbid with another condition such as ED.
Deaf-blindness Simultaneous impairments in with vision and
hearing; causes severe communication and
educational needs, as these students must be
served in the two areas of disability, not just one
or the other
Deafness An impairment that is so severe that the child
needs support to process language through
hearing, with or without amplification, and
affects the child’s educational performance
Developmental Delay Definition varies by state, children birth to 3 are
covered under part C, which students age 3-9
are covered under part B; typical definition
includes deficits in one or more of the following
areas: Cognitive, physical, social, emotional,
communication or adaptive development
Emotional Disturbance ED Child exhibits one or more of the following for
an extended period of time, to a marked degree,
and affects educational performance: issues
that cannot be explained by sensory, health or
intellectual factors; inability to maintain
interpersonal relationships with peers/teachers;
does not exhibit appropriate behavior under
normal circumstances; pervasive mood of
unhappiness or depression; presents with
physical symptoms or fears associated with
school or personal problems; this term includes
students with schizophrenia, but is not applied
to those that are socially maladjusted, unless it
is determined that they have an emotional

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 Categories of Disability in Federal Special Education Law 2
SPED/531 Version 2

disturbance.
Hearing Impairment A hearing impairment that is permanent or
fluctuating that interferes with learning; but is
not included in the definition of deafness
Intellectual Disability Formerly Mental Sub-average intellectual functioning that is
Retardation concurrent with deficits in adaptive behaviors;
manifests itself during the developmental phase
and directly impacts student performance
Multiple Disabilities Combinations of disabilities that occur
concurrently that are so severe that the student
cannot be supported in just one area; this term
does not include deaf-blindness
Orthopedic Disability An orthopedic disability that directly impacts
academic performance; could be from a disease
or defect
Other Health OHI Limited abilities due to limited strength,
Impairment alertness, vitality, and includes a heightened
alertness to environmental stimuli; also includes
chronic or acute health related issues that
adversely affect the child’s academic
performance
Speech and Language A communication disorder that and adversely
Impairment affects academic performance; includes
stuttering, impaired articulation, language
impairment, or voice impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury TBI An acquired injury, from an external force,
resulting in impaired function in one or more
areas of the brain that affects academic
performance; does not include congenital,
degenerative conditions or traumatic birth
injuries
Visual Impairment An impairment, that even with correction,
including blindness adversely affects the student’s educational
performance; this includes both partial sight and
blindness.

References:

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.

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