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Multiple Disabilities (MD): Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness or intellectual disability-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 do not include deaf-blindness. As you move through the posts, take the opportunity to meet Elizabeth, Jacob, and Christina.

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Acronyms that may be seen include:

MD (Multiple Disabilities) and MH (Multiple Handicaps).

Concomitant Impairments means that the person has simultaneously occurring disabilities listed under the 12 remaining federal disability categories:

*Specific Learning Disability (ie: dyslexia)

*Other Health Impairment (ie: diabetes)

*Autism Spectrum Disorder

*Emotional Disturbance (ie: schizophrenia)

*Speech or Language Impairment (ie: stuttering)

*Visual Impairment/Blindness

*Hearing Impairment

*Deaf-Blindness (this is ONE disability and would not solely count as an MD on it’s own).

*Orthopedic Impairment (ie: cerebral palsy)

*Intellectual Disability

*Traumatic Brain Injury

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The most common characteristics listed under a Multiple Disabilities diagnosis are:

*mobility issues

*limited communication

*difficulty with memory

*problems with generalization or transferring learned information across different categories of life: school/home

*need for support in multiple areas of life
*need for medical support base outside of standard care from a general physician

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Students with Multiple Disabilities are as unique as fingerprints and require teachers to get creative to address their needs. Their accommodations will need to address a vast range of ability and can be quite a puzzle to assemble to help the students have optimal access to their education in a way that benefits them and that works in a classroom full of students with variant need. Some of the accommodations may include any of the following in combination with other accommodation.

A student who has an MD diagnosis may require seating accommodations that allow better access to visuals such as being seated closer to the board, handouts may need to be adapted with a larger font or writing lines, or the student may require access to their environment by using braille, having someone read to them or write for them due to visual impairment or blindness. They may also require assistive hearing devices such as hearing aids, or a headset that is attached to a microphone that the teacher can use to amplify his/her voice during lessons. This will give the student with hearing impairment access to audible information. A person on the Autism Spectrum may need the freedom to move about or stand during lessons. At times, the student with Autism may also benefit from having a different type of seat, noise-canceling earphones, a fidget device, a speech device, a visible calendar, or may need breaks periodically that can be implemented so that it benefits the whole class.

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Elizabeth is a former teacher who has some great tips on working with students who have Prader-Willi Syndrome. Prader-Willi Syndrome diagnosis goes hand in hand with developmental delays, eating disorders, and multiple behavioral issues.

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Christina has Cerebral Palsy with Physical Disabilities. She will need access to physical and occupational therapies, she may need a speech device to represent her voice, she may need special utensils for eating or grips for coloring or to hold a stylus for use with her speech device.

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Christina's Cerebral Palsy Journey at Gillette Children's

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Jacob has Angelman Syndrome with Intellectual Disabilities. This syndrome can be complicated by multiple comorbidities. Jacob is working to learn how to use an iPad for communications due to speech impairment or little lingual use, would require intuitive observations to "read" how he is feeling due to his happy disposition, he may need a specific type of chair to help support him during teaching due to mobility issues, and more. Nutrition is huge with kids with Angelman Syndrome.

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Jacob's Story: Angelman Syndrome | Studio 10

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(Source 1: Sec. 300.8 (c) (7) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ; Source 2: Pearson: Smith, Tyler, Skow. (2018). Introduction to Contemporary Special Education: New Horizons, Second Edition. pgs. 106-110, 141-144, 204-217, 219, 244, 256-259, 282-300, 315-317, 344-350, 378-384, 397, 414-415, 417, 421-423).

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(7) Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness or intellectual disability-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.

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Sec. 300.8 (c) (7) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(7) Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness or intellectual disability-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. idea_regulations-template-default single single-idea_regulations postid-56783 wp-custom-logo wp-embed-responsive with-font-selector no-anchor-scroll footer-on-bottom animate-body-popup social-brand-colors...