Disability Labels and Descriptions
Note: These are general labels and descriptors as each state clarifies its’ own criteria. These are based on Georgia requirements.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) This is a medical diagnosis.
For the purposes of receiving services in the public school setting, this disorder is classified under the eligibility category of Other Health Impaired. Symptoms of alertness, strength and vitality must adversely affect a student’s educational performance.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (AU) Autism is a developmental disability that sometimes can be detected as early as 18 months but it is typically suspected or identified by age 3. Parents typically are the first to notice unusual behaviors. Children typically have mild to significant difficulty with developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships have heightened or unusual sensory experiences, must engage to some degree in repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, and also exhibit resistance to changes in the environment or with daily routines. Individuals with Autism can vary widely in their strengths and weaknesses and to the extent in which they impede the person ability to function successfully in his or her environment.
This spectrum disorder may also include: Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD) This disorder is described as an inability to effectively develop and maintain interpersonal relationships, consistent or inappropriate behaviors and feelings under normal conditions, displays pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression, display the tendency to complain of physical symptoms, pain, or unreasonable fears related to school or personal problems, and an inability to learn which cannot be related to health, intellect, or sensory difficulties.
A person characterized with one or more of these descriptors but exhibit them for a significant duration, frequency, and intensity which impact education performance and progress.
Mental Retardation (MR) Intellectual disabilities are characterized with significant sub-average intellectual functioning. Deficits in adaptive behavior must also be exhibited. Both general functioning and adaptive behavior negatively impact educational performance, which occur during the developmental period.
Other Health Impaired (OHI) This is a medical diagnosis due to chronic and acute health problems. Symptoms of alertness, strength and vitality must adversely affect a student’s educational performance.
Significant Developmental Delay (SDD) This is a disability of young children from ages 3-7. There is a delay in cognitive, motor, adaptive behavior, communication, or social development, which impairs educational or participation in age appropriate activities. The delays cannot be due to environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) Individual must have at least average intelligence. There exists some lack of academic progress that involves at least one disorder in psychological processes of oral expression, listening comprehension, basic reading, reading fluency, written expression, mathematics calculations, mathematics reasoning.
Terms that may be used to describe the psychological processes could include perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, or developmental aphasia.
These academic deficits must not be due to visual, motor, or hearing impairments, cultural factors, mental retardation, economic or environmental factors, or limited language proficiency.
There may be auditory, visual, written, or processing speed deficiencies but they must impact one of the psychological areas.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) TBI is an acquired injury to the brain that occurs after birth and is caused by a external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, which adversely impacts the individual’s educational progress.
The injury applies to open or closed injuries that impede progress in cognitive, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem solving, sensory, perceptual, psychosocial behavior, speech, physical functioning, processing information, and/or motor skills.
The impairment may result in temporary or permanent in nature.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) This is a medical diagnosis.
For the purposes of receiving services in the public school setting, this disorder is classified under the eligibility category of Other Health Impaired. Symptoms of alertness, strength and vitality must adversely affect a student’s educational performance.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (AU) Autism is a developmental disability that sometimes can be detected as early as 18 months but it is typically suspected or identified by age 3. Parents typically are the first to notice unusual behaviors. Children typically have mild to significant difficulty with developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships have heightened or unusual sensory experiences, must engage to some degree in repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, and also exhibit resistance to changes in the environment or with daily routines. Individuals with Autism can vary widely in their strengths and weaknesses and to the extent in which they impede the person ability to function successfully in his or her environment.
This spectrum disorder may also include: Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD) This disorder is described as an inability to effectively develop and maintain interpersonal relationships, consistent or inappropriate behaviors and feelings under normal conditions, displays pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression, display the tendency to complain of physical symptoms, pain, or unreasonable fears related to school or personal problems, and an inability to learn which cannot be related to health, intellect, or sensory difficulties.
A person characterized with one or more of these descriptors but exhibit them for a significant duration, frequency, and intensity which impact education performance and progress.
Mental Retardation (MR) Intellectual disabilities are characterized with significant sub-average intellectual functioning. Deficits in adaptive behavior must also be exhibited. Both general functioning and adaptive behavior negatively impact educational performance, which occur during the developmental period.
Other Health Impaired (OHI) This is a medical diagnosis due to chronic and acute health problems. Symptoms of alertness, strength and vitality must adversely affect a student’s educational performance.
Significant Developmental Delay (SDD) This is a disability of young children from ages 3-7. There is a delay in cognitive, motor, adaptive behavior, communication, or social development, which impairs educational or participation in age appropriate activities. The delays cannot be due to environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) Individual must have at least average intelligence. There exists some lack of academic progress that involves at least one disorder in psychological processes of oral expression, listening comprehension, basic reading, reading fluency, written expression, mathematics calculations, mathematics reasoning.
Terms that may be used to describe the psychological processes could include perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, or developmental aphasia.
These academic deficits must not be due to visual, motor, or hearing impairments, cultural factors, mental retardation, economic or environmental factors, or limited language proficiency.
There may be auditory, visual, written, or processing speed deficiencies but they must impact one of the psychological areas.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) TBI is an acquired injury to the brain that occurs after birth and is caused by a external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, which adversely impacts the individual’s educational progress.
The injury applies to open or closed injuries that impede progress in cognitive, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem solving, sensory, perceptual, psychosocial behavior, speech, physical functioning, processing information, and/or motor skills.
The impairment may result in temporary or permanent in nature.