As Special Education Directors, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines students with disabilities. This knowledge not only ensures legal compliance but also helps us provide the best support and resources for our students.
According to IDEA, students with disabilities are those who have one or more of the following conditions:
- Mental Retardation: Significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.
- Hearing Impairments (including deafness): A hearing loss that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Speech or Language Impairments: A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment.
- Visual Impairments (including blindness): A visual impairment that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Serious Emotional Disturbance: A condition exhibiting one or more characteristics over a long period of time that adversely affects educational performance.
- Orthopedic Impairments: A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Autism: A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction.
- Traumatic Brain Injury: An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment.
- Other Health Impairments: Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment.
- Specific Learning Disabilities: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written.
By understanding these definitions, we can better advocate for our students and ensure they receive the appropriate services and accommodations they need to succeed.
At TinyEYE, we provide online therapy services tailored to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. Our team of skilled therapists is dedicated to making a positive impact on students' lives.
For more information, please follow this link.
