(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.

ADHD has a high heritability, which means if a parent has been diagnosed with ADHD, it is highly likely that their child would have ADHD as well. Thus, genetics have long been linked to being a risk factor for ADHD. Genetic studies have found that the interaction of more than one gene could be contributing towards the development of ADHD.

People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development:

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

Based on the types of symptoms, three kinds (presentations) of ADHD can occur:

Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:

“(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” [34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]

Stuttering  
Many children may stutter sometimes. Signs of stuttering include:

Voice disorders Signs include

Language disorders Signs include 

(ii) Autism does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in paragraph (c)(4) of this section.

(iii) A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could be identified as having autism if the criteria in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section are satisfied.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) characterizes autism spectrum disorder as persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, including deficits in social reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, and skills for developing, maintaining, and understanding 

(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.

(ii) Emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance under paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section. 

There are different types of emotional disturbance: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and psychotic disorders

There were 6,472,061 students ages 6 through 21 served under IDEA part B. Total  5.5% in the category of emotional disturbance.

According to the CDC (centers for disease control and prevention), approximately 8.3 million children (14.5%) aged 4-17 years have parents  who have talked  about the child’s emotional or behavioral difficulties.

Pay attention to warning signs, get routine medical care, get help when you need it, take good care of yourself. Follow these steps:

Primary Prevention: 
school wide social skills training programs, and specific setting systems, reduce the incidence.

Secondary Prevention: 
targeting  selected at-risk groups aiming to reduce the prevalence. Minimize the possibility that students at high risk will engage in misbehavior.

Tertiary Prevention:
the most intensive level of prevention, designed for individual students: individual counseling, individually tailored self monitoring program spreserve functional adaptations and the wellbeing of the person,as well as to avoid relapses.