Special Education Classifications

Specific Learning Disability is associated with a child's ability to read, write, reason, speak, listen and solve math problems. Some disabilities under this category include Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, and Dysgraphia. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder, commonly just referred to as Autism, is a developmental disability that directly impacts a student's social and communication skills with adults and peers. Due to it being on a spectrum, Autism can also impact one's behavior. 

Speech/Language Impairment is a category that is related to behaviors such as stuttering, difficulty pronouncing words, difficulty with expressing oneself through language, and trouble making sounds. 

Deafness is a category that describes children who has the inability to comprehend verbal language, which includes most or all sounds, either partially or in full. This classification includes students that do and do not wear a hearing aid. 

Deaf-Blindness is used for children who experience both severe deafness and blindness simultaneously.. Their unique combined needs require a separate category separate from Deafnessand Blindness. 

Intellectual Disability categorizes children who are limited in their ability to function at an expected level and also limits their everyday functioning skills, such as communication and daily self-care tasks. Some examples of Intellectual Disability include Down Syndrome and Williams Syndrome.

Multiple Disabilities is for children who have more than one disability that is listed within the 13 classifications. This category allows the child to receive services that could not fully be provided within any one disability classification. 

Other Health Impairment affects a student's alertness, executive functioning skills and energy levels. One disability under this category that exhibits these traits in ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Emotional Disturbance includes various disabilities that are centered around mental health. Some of these disabilities include anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. 

Visual Impairment is a category for those experiencing partial blindness or full blindness. A child's ability to see that can be corrected with eyewear does not fall into this category. 

The classification of Hearing Impairment is slightly different from the Deafness classification. Hearing Impairment refers to hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that interferes with a child's ability to perform academically. 

Orthopedic Impairment is the category for when a child experiences a lack of partial or full bodily function that affects their overall ability to academically perform. Examples of Orthopedic Impairment would be spina bifida or cerebral palsy.

Traumatic Brain Injury is a classification for when there is extreme force and injury caused to the brain which causes partial or full functioning impairment, ultimately limiting a child's ability to academically perform. Traumatic Brain Injury only qualifies if the injury was caused by a fall, crash, blunt force.