Disability Info
One of the most important steps in receiving accommodations is for the student to have a good understanding of their own disability.
Listed below are several different types of disabilities. You will find additional links to specific disabilities interspersed below.
Emotional
Emotional impairment refers to a wide range of psychiatric/psychological disorders such as neuroses, psychoses, personality disorders, dissociate disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Behaviors displayed may include poor concentration, low motivation, inability to tolerate stress, episodes of lower academic performance, sleep disturbances, and side effects of medications.
Emotional concerns may manifest themselves in negative or apathetic attitudes and behavior. It may be helpful to remember that these students have as little control over their disabilities as students with physical disabilities.
For more specific emotional disabilities, download this PDF or visit this page.
Health
A wide range of conditions may interfere with stamina and mobility and affect academic functioning. Common conditions may include asthma, auto-immune diseases such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, or multiple chemical sensitivities. Functional limitations and abilities will vary widely, even within the same type of disability. Students may have difficulty getting to or from class, performing in class, and managing out-of-class assignments and tests. Accommodations vary greatly and can only be determined on an individual basis.
Things to keep in mind
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Occasional absence or tardiness may be unavoidable. These problems may be caused by fatigue, severe pain, illness, or other health-related concerns.
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Scheduling may be an issue. Special projects, testing etc. may need to be flexible to allow students to work during optimal time periods of the day.
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Chronic health problems may create secondary disabilities such as depression and anxiety.
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Progression of illness is unpredictable. Periodic remissions may allow for added energy and euphoria, while exacerbations may require hospitalization.
Hearing
A hearing impairment refers to any type or degree of auditory impairment; deafness is an inability to use hearing as a means of communication. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, or profound.
A person who is born with a hearing loss may have language deficiencies and exhibit poor vocabulary and syntax. People with acquired deafness may have excellent speech. Some students with hearing loss may use hearing aids and rely on lip reading. Many students learn communication through American Sign Language (ASL) and will require an interpreter.
For more specific hearing impairments, download this PDF.
Learning
Learning disabilities are neurological disorders that interfere with a person's ability to store, process, or produce information, and create a "gap" between one's ability and performance. Individuals with learning disabilities are generally of average or above average intelligence.
Learning disabilities can affect one's ability to read, write, speak, or compute math, and can impede social skills. Learning disabilities can affect one or more areas of development. Individuals with learning disabilities can have marked difficulties on certain types of tasks while excelling at others.
Sometimes overlooked as "hidden handicaps", learning disabilities are often not easily recognized, accepted or considered serious once detected. Learning disabilities affect children and adults. The impact of the disability ranges from relatively mild to severe. Learning disabilities often run in families.
Learning disabilities are NOT the same as the following handicaps: mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, behavioral disorders. Nor are learning disabilities the result of economic disadvantage, environmental factors or cultural differences. Attention deficits and hyperactivity sometimes co-occur with learning disabilities, but not always.
Learning disabilities are not cured and do not go away, but individuals can learn to compensate for and even overcome areas of weakness.
For more specific learning disabilities, visit this page.
For a list of learning disability fast
facts, click here.
Physical/Mobility Impairments
A wide range of conditions may limit mobility and/or hand function. Common ones are paraplegia or quadriplegia, amputation, arthritis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cardiac conditions, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, stroke, and respiratory diseases. Functional limitations and abilities vary widely even within the same type of disability.
Students may have difficulty getting to or from class, performing in class, and managing out-of-class assignments and tests. Accommodations vary greatly and can only be determined on an individual basis.
For more specific physical disabilities, download this PDF.
Psychological
A psychological disability may be classified as any disturbance of emotional equilibrium as manifested in maladaptive behavior and impaired functioning, caused by genetic, physical, chemical, biologic, psychological, or social and cultural factors. Psychological disorders range from post traumatic stress syndrome to common phobias.
For more specific psychological disabilities, visit this page.
For a list of helpful psychological disability facts, click here.
Vision
Visual impairments vary greatly. Disorders in the sense of vision typically result in acuity less than 20/200 in the better eye after correction or in a limit in the field of vision to less than a 20 degree angle. Impaired vision may be the inability to see clearly, see the entire field of vision, perceive color or use both eyes to see. Limitations vary widely.
Most persons who are legally blind have some vision. Those with low vision may rely on residual vision and adaptive equipment.
For more specific vision impairments, download this PDF.
