DisABILITY Categories by Brianne Bello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories Information and resources about the 13 disabilities categories recognized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). en-us 2019-11-23 22:33:18 UTC 2019-11-24 05:00:04 UTC hello@padlet.com 13 Categories of Disabilities bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415726384 According to the article "About IDEA" from the U.S. Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) website, "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children" (2019). This Act recognizes 13 categories of eligible disabilities which are listed below. I have included the exact legal definitions of the disabilities as they are listed in IDEA as well as information from our course textbook by Bryant, Bryant, and Smith. I have also linked resources about each disability category if you would like to explore more.]]> 2019-11-23 22:42:04 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415726384 Autism bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727369 "Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Characteristics of autism can include social problems such as difficulty with communication and interacting with others, repetitive behaviors, a set pattern of behaviors with a resistance to change, limited interests or activities as well as intense and overly focused interests (can include numbers, details, facts), and repeating words or phrases without meaning also known as echolalia (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See the Autism Speaks website linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:51:11 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727369 Deaf-blindness bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727380 "Deaf-blindness means 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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Communication is quite possibility the greatest challenge that individuals with deaf-blindness encounter. Considerable effort is required by the individual. They must fight isolation and mobility as well. Manual communication including sign language, gestures, body language, and hand over hand (which was used by Hellen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan!) can be used by these individuals to talk to others and express their needs (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See the National Center on Deaf-Blindness website linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:51:15 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727380 Deafness bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727397 "Deafness means 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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Deaf "students' educational performance, their interactions with others, and their participation in the community are influenced by their hearing problems" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 173).

See the American Society for Deaf Children website linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:51:24 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727397 Emotional Disturbance bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727416 "Emotional disturbance means a 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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


There are three groups of behavioral disorders: externalizing, internalizing, and low incidence. Externalizing behaviors can be characterized by aggressive, impulsive, noncompliant, coercive, or even argumentative behaviors. These behaviors are aimed towards others and are persistently irritating and aggressive (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). Internalizing behaviors are characterized by withdrawn, anxious, and depressed behaviors. Depression can be very hard to recognize in younger children but can include feelings of guilt, rejection, and low self-esteem. Low-incidence conditions are rare but incredibly serious. An example of one of these conditions includes schizophrenia (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See the Center for Parents Information & Resources article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.
]]> 2019-11-23 22:51:36 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727416 Hearing Impairment bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727453 "Hearing impairment means an 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." (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Type of loss, age of onset, and degree of loss are three dimensions that are used to describe hearing problems. These are important to consider. The two types of hearing loss are conductive and sensorineural. Blockages or damage to the outer or middle ear can cause conductive hearing loss. This is generally a mild to moderate disability. Damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve result in sensorineural hearing loss (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See the Hearing Loss Association of America website linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:51:54 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727453 Multiple Disabilities bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727473 "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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Individuals with multiple disabilities are unique due to the combination of their disabilities. This also means that there is a wide range of skills and abilities as well as problems depending on their diagnoses  (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). With this being said, a few common characteristics include "limited speech or communication, difficulty in basic physical mobility, tendency to forget skills that are rarely used, trouble generalizing skills from one situation to another, a need for support in major life activities (e.g. home care, leisure, community use, vocational)" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 167).

See the ThoughtCo article linked below for more information and resources about supporting students with this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:52:06 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727473 Orthopedic Impairment bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727487 "Orthopedic impairment means a severe orthopedic 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)" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Physical impairments can range from mild to severe depending on the diagnosis. It is important that physical barriers are eliminated proactively in their day to day lives whenever it is possible (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). Some of these individual can have physical disabilities and developmental disabilities, but it is wrong to assume that they automatically go hand in hand. "Although some degree of intellectual and developmental disabilities may be present in about half of these children, others may be intellectually gifted" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 172).

See the Project IDEAL article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:52:15 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727487 Other Health Impairment (OHI) bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727505 "Other health impairment means 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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Two major groups that have OHI include students with chronic illnesses and students with infectious diseases. Many chronic illnesses are mentioned above. Infectious diseases (that are not mentioned) can include Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, and STORCH infections. Characteristics of students with OHI that cause barriers to their learning include fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, inability to pay attention, and frequent absences (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). "Some symptoms are directly related to medications and treatment, and others are a function of the disease, illness, or condition" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 164).

See the National Association of Special Education Teachers article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.
]]> 2019-11-23 22:52:29 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727505 Specific Learning Disability (SLD) bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727519 "(i) General. Specific learning disability means a 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. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


"Despite having normal intelligence, students with learning disabilities do not achieve academically on par with their classmates without disabilities. Some face challenges in almost every academic area" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 132).

See the American Psychiatric Association article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.
]]> 2019-11-23 22:52:37 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727519 Speech or Language Impairment bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727558 "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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Speech impairments can sound unintelligible or unpleasant. They negatively affect communication and the communication process. Language impairments disrupt communication. They also interfere with the ability to understand the speaker's messages and intent (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). There are three types of speech impairments: articulation problems (producing sounds), fluency problems (interruptions to the flow of speech), and voice problems (pitch or loudness are effected). There are also three different types of language situations which include language impairments, language delays, and language differences (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) website linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:52:56 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727558 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727601 "Traumatic brain injury means an 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. Traumatic brain injury 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. Traumatic brain injury does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


Depending on the extent of the injuries, TBI range from mild to severe. Effects of the injury can last indefinitely. Some individuals with TBI can have seizures, also (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See the MAYO Clinic article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:53:12 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727601 Visual Impairment bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727687 "Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


"Many professionals talk about visual disabilities in four very different ways:
1. By identifying the reason for the visual loss
2. By considering the severity of the problem
3. By taking into account when the loss occurred
4. By determining whether the criteria for being considered legally blind are met" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 177).

There are two subgroups of those with visual impairments: individuals with low vision and individuals who are blind. If someone is congenitally blind, they have been blind since birth or during their infancy. If someone is adventitiously blind, it had an onset after 2 years of age (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019).

See The Nemours Foundation article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 22:53:36 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727687 References bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727788 Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Smith, D. D. (2019). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

U.S. Department of Education. (2018, May 25). Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability. Retrieved November 23, 2019, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8.

U.S. Department of Education. (2019). About IDEA. Retrieved November 23, 2019, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/.]]> 2019-11-23 22:54:40 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415727788 Intellectual Disability bbello https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415731529 "Intellectual disability means 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" (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).


"Today, more than 500 genetic causes of intellectual and developmental disabilities are known, and because of advances in medical research, more are being identified" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 144). There are three characteristics that define intellectual and developmental disabilities: problems with cognition, problems with adaptive behavior, and need for supports in order to maintain independence. These disabilities can be mild or severe, depending (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). Mild intellectual and developmental disabilities are characterized by learning difficulties. These individuals can work and have good relationships with others. Moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities are characterized by developmental delays (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). These individuals can perform some independence with their self-care and can communicate with others. Their academic skills are adequate. They may need supports to be able to live and work in a community. Severe intellectual and developmental disabilities require continuous support (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019). Profound intellectual and developmental disabilities are characterized by "severe limitation in self-care, continence, communication, and mobility; has continuous need of supports" (Bryant, Bryant, & Smith, 2019, p. 143).

See the Project IDEAL article linked below for more information and resources about this disability.]]> 2019-11-23 23:33:28 UTC https://padlet.com/bbello/disabilitiescategories/wish/415731529