Visual impairments (also known as visual disabilities) can range from mild vision loss in one or both eyes to a complete loss of vision. A person may be born with limited or no sight, or they may lose vision progressively over the course of their life. Some visual…
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external physical force injures the brain and causes partial or total functional disability, psychosocial impairment, or both, affecting a child’s educational performance. This term doesn’t include brain injuries that are degenerative (cause damage to the brain over time), congenital (present at…
Speech or language impairment refers to a communication disorder that impacts a child’s educational performance, such as stuttering, impaired articulation (difficulty speaking clearly), a voice impairment, or a language impairment. There are many different causes of speech disabilities (also called speech disorders or speech impediments). Certain physical…
Dyslexia is a perceptual disability, meaning it affects the way sensory information is processed. It impacts reading, in particular, causing difficulty with decoding words and accurate/fluent word recognition and spelling. Dyslexia can be unexpected. It often doesn’t reflect a student’s other abilities. In fact, students with dyslexia typically…
Specific learning disability (SLD) refers to a disorder that affects one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language. SLD may show as a student having difficulty with reading, writing, spelling, speaking, listening, thinking, or solving math equations. There are…
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also known as attention-deficit disorder (ADD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It’s one of the most common mental disorders in children. As its name suggests, ADHD can cause a person to be overactive (“hyper” or fidgety), impulsive, or distractible. A child with ADHD may have trouble…
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), other health impairment (OHI) means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness within the educational environment and negatively impacts a child’s educational performance. OHI may occur due to chronic…
Orthopedic impairment (OI) refers to a severe impairment to movement or mobility that negatively affects a child’s educational performance. OI includes physical disabilities and impairments caused by: Congenital anomalies, or conditions present at birth. Disease, such as bone tuberculosis or poliomyelitis. Other causes, including amputation, cerebral palsy, and…
Multiple disabilities (MD) is a category defined in Connecticut as multiple simultaneous impairments that, in combination, cause severe enough educational needs that a student can’t properly be accommodated in special education programs designed for just one of their particular disabilities. Note: MD does not include deaf-blindness (DB).
Intellectual disability (ID) is defined in Connecticut as significant limitations in both intellectual (mental) functioning and adaptive behavior, as shown in social, practical, and conceptual adaptive skills. Many different factors are taken into consideration when evaluating a student for intellectual disability, including: Information and evaluations provided by the…
