The document provides descriptions, common traits, educational challenges, and tips for teachers and parents for several types of disabilities classified under IDEA including autism, emotional disturbance, speech and language impairments, visual impairment including blindness, and traumatic brain injury. For each disability, examples are given of common traits, potential challenges in an educational setting, and strategies teachers and parents can use to help students who have the disability.

1. Students’ Activity (#8)
Search on the other Classifications of Individuals with Disabilities. Following the same pattern how the first six classification of
Individuals with Disabilities are presented in a table, do the same pattern with the other classifications, to wit:
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment Including Blindness
• Hearing Impairment
• Deaf-Blindness
• Intellectual Disability
• Deaf
(i.e. “Description,” “Common Traits,” “Educational Challenges,” and “Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with the affected child”).

2. Classifications of Disabilities by the Individuals with Disabilities
(Adopted from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA of the United States)
• Autism
• Emotional Disturbance
• Speech and language impairments.
• Specific learning disability (SLD)
• Multiple disabilities
• orthopedic impairment
• other health impairment
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment Including Blindness
• Hearing Impairment
• Deaf-Blindness
• Intellectual Disability
• Deaf

3. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational
Challenges
Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with
the affected child
Autism refers to “a developmental disability significantly
affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance.” This definition then
proceeds to name traits commonly related to the condition:
“Other characteristics often associated with autism are
engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements,
resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines,
and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
The term autism does not apply if the child’s educational
performance is adversely affected primarily because the child
has an emotional disturbance. It should be noted that a child
who shows the characteristics of autism after age three could
be diagnosed as having autism if the criteria above are satisfied.
This enables a child to receive special education services under
this classification if he or she develops signs of autism after his
or her third birthday. Typically, a psychiatrist, clinical
psychologist, physician or other highly qualified professional
makes the diagnosis. It would not be uncommon for the
evaluation team to suspect Autism, then ask the parent to see a
psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or appropriately trained
pediatrician.
• Unusual fixation (for
instance, only playing
with round toys)
• Inability to focus
without first
completing a routine
• Disruptive
behavior when
ordinary
schedule is
interrupted • Unusual
communication
habits (from not
talking at all to
repeating certain
phrases)
• Difficulty
understanding social
interactions
• Trouble
following
directions
• Hampered
ability to
communicate
• Disinterest
• Disruptive
behavioral
problems
Giving directions one step at a time, utilizing various cues
to reiterate instructions. For example, give directions on
how to fold a piece of paper by verbalizing the steps
while demonstrating how to do so; do each step
individually, followed by the student imitating each
step; do not integrate all the steps until each is
mastered.
Assistive technology can reduce communication issues.
Teachers, to combat disinterest, learn what intrigues
your student so that you can grab his or her attention.
For instance, if a student is heavily fixated on airplanes
but uninterested in math, write word problems that
incorporate situations relating to airplanes.
Teachers, getting to know a student can help you avoid
disruptive behavior. Find out what calms your student
and what riles up him or her. Parents you can assist here
by providing such knowledge to your kid’s teachers.
After all, who is better suited to help teachers to learn
about your child?

4. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with
the affected child
Emotional Disturbance. A condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked
degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:
(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual,
sensory, or health factors.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal
relationships with peers and teachers.
(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal
circumstances.
(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (E) A
tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with
personal or school problems.
Emotional Disturbance includes schizophrenia but does not apply to
children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they
have an emotional disturbance.
A simpler way to understand emotional disturbances is to remember
that, when it comes to special education, the term “emotional
disturbance” is associated with mental health or severe behavior issues.
There are six
common types
of emotional
disturbances:
anxiety disorders,
bipolar disorder,
conduct disorders,
eating
disorders,
obsessive
compulsive
disorder (OCD)
and psychotic
disorders.
The challenge of
educating students
diagnosed with
emotional
disturbances often
stems from
potential classroom
disruptions; for
instance, imagine the
trouble created when
a student begins
crying uncontrollably
or starts throwing a
wild temper
tantrum.
Preventive measures are often the best solution
to disruptions linked to emotional disturbances.
Functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) is a
preventative strategy. An FBA identifies what
leads a student to act out so that an effective
behavioral intervention plan (BIP) can be
developed.
Behavior modification involving strategies such
as positive reinforcement and incentives to help
students learn behaviors that are less disruptive
and more socially acceptable.
Collaboration with other professionals who
work with the child or student
(psychotherapist, behavioral therapist, etc.) to
determine specific ways to effectively educate
the individual.

5. Disability/SLN &
Description
Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with the affected child
Visual impairment
involves an issue with
sight which interferes
with a student’s
academic pursuits. It is
an impairment in vision
that, even with
correction,
adversely affects a
child’s educational
performance. The term
includes both partial
sight and blindness.
• Irregular eye
movements (for instance,
eyes that
don’t move together or
that appear unfocused)
• Unusual habits (such
as covering one eye or
frequently rubbing eyes) •
Sitting abnormally close
to a television or holding
a book close to the face
• Safely
maneuvering
around the
classroom
• Conceptualizing
objects
• Reading
• Operating
standard
educational tools
such as calculators
and word
processing software
• Early intervention.
• orientation and mobility training to allow a student with a visual impairment to
safely move around a classroom.
• Arrange classroom furniture a certain way to reduce possible dangers.
• Sensory learning strategy helps students with visual impairments conceptualize by
allowing them to use their other senses to understand an object. Parents can aid in
sensory learning by using comments that teach a child to form a complete picture
of an object from sensing the details. For example, you could say in reference to a
stuffed animal “Wow! Your new stuffed bunny is fluffy! Feel his round tail.”
• Assistive technology can address issues related to reading and the use of educational
tools. To identify some beneficial educational iPad apps for students with visual
impairments read 7 Apps to Use as Assistive Technology. Resources such as large
print books and braille books can also be helpful.
Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing
with the affected child

6. Speech and language impairments. A
communication disorder such as stuttering,
impaired articulation, a language impairment,
or a voice impairment that adversely affects a
child’s educational performance.
Each point within this official definition
represents a speech and language
subcategory. • A communication disorder
such as stuttering provides an example of a
fluency disorder; other fluency issues include
unusual word repetition and hesitant speech.
• Impaired articulation indicates impairments
in which a child experiences challenges in
pronouncing specific sounds.
• A language impairment can entail difficulty
comprehending words properly,
expressing oneself and listening to
others.
• Finally, a voice impairment involves
difficulty voicing words; for
instance,
throat issues may cause an abnormally
soft voice.
Speech and language impairments tend
to emerge at a young age, and the
earlier a child is diagnosed and receives
services accordingly, the more likely that
child can outgrow the disability. Speech-
language pathologists work with
children with speech and language
impairments, as well as with parents
and teachers. For example, a speech-
language pathologist might work with a
child with impaired articulation to help
him or her learn to pronounce “s” and
“z” sounds correctly.
If a child fails to meet the speech and
language milestones, he or she might
have a speech and language
impairment. Parents are usually the first
to suspect that a child might possess
such an impairment. However, it’s
important to note that hearing issues,
autism and a number of other
disabilities can masquerade as speech
and language impairments, and a child
with a suspected impairment should be
evaluated by a speech-language
pathologist to avoid misdiagnosis.
The obstacles created
by speech and
language
impairments vary by the
specific case, but because
communication is at the
core of education, these
impairments can impact a
student’s entire
educational experience.
Some of these challenges
might involve:
• Communicating
effectively with
classmates and
teachers • Understanding
and/or giving oral
presentations •
Participating in classroom
discussions
• Attaining normalcy
within a group
Early intervention is a helpful tool for
children with speech and language
impairments. Working with a speech-
language pathologist during the preschool
years can be a game changer. Addressing
issues, such as stuttering and articulation
impairments, early can lessen potential
communication difficulties later in a child’s
educational career.
It’s worth mentioning that speech and
language impairments requiring long-term
attention generally remain manageable. A
school’s speech-language pathologist should
work with both teachers and parents to
discuss a child’s needs and how to best meet
them.
Bullying is an issue for some children with
speech and language impairments; for
instance, peers might mock a stutter or a lisp.
Bullying often becomes more than a social
issue as it can distract the student who is the
target from his or her classwork. Taking class
time to teach about bullying can help
prevent to prevent this.

7. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational
Challenges
Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with
the affected child
Specific learning disability (SLD) is a
disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in
understanding or in using language,
spoken or written, that may manifest itself
in the imperfect ability to listen, think,
speak, read, write, spell, or to do
mathematical calculations. This disability
category includes such conditions as
perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal
brain dysfunction, dyslexia and
developmental aphasia (a type of language
disorder).
“Specific Learning Disability does not
include learning problems that are primarily
the result of visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities; of intellectual disability; of
emotional
disturbance; or of environmental, cultural,
or economic disadvantage.” This clause
helps to distinguish learning disabilities
from the other disability. Specific Learning
Disabilities (SLD) is
by far the largest category of disability.
Nearly half of all disabled children are
labeled in the category of SLD.
SLD commonly affect skills in the areas of:
Reading (called dyslexia)
Writing (called dysgraphia)
Listening
Speaking
Reasoning
Math (called dyscalculia)
Signs that a child might have a learning
disability tend to appear in elementary
school. For example, difficulty learning the
alphabet, problems with following
directions, trouble transforming thoughts
into written words and misreading math
problems are all possible indicators of a
specific learning disability.
Educational
challenges of
students with SLD
include:
• Difficulty reading
out loud
• Poor reading
comprehension
• Struggling to
write papers and
essays
• Trouble
understanding
lectures
• Difficulty holding
a pencil
“Children with learning disabilities are not
‘dumb’ or ‘lazy.’ In fact, they usually have
average or above average intelligence. Their
brains just process information differently.”
The more politically-correct phrase “learning
differences” offers a more accurate snapshot
that captures the essence of learning
disabilities. Supplied with the appropriate
special education services, students with
learning disabilities can flourish academically. A
student with dysgraphia for example may have
A-worthy ideas for a paper inside his or her
head, but without
accommodations, those ideas will probably
not earn the grade they deserve. One
potential accommodation for such a scenario
entails using speech-to-text technology to
write papers.
Overall, the best educational accommodations
for students with specific learning disabilities
stem from assessing a child’s particular case
and identifying his or her strengths and
weaknesses. This evaluation is worked into the
individualized education program (IEP) process.

8. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with the affected child
Multiple disabilities refer to
“concomitant [simultaneous]
impairments (such as
intellectual disability-
blindness, intellectual
disability-orthopedic impairment,
etc.), the combination of which
causes such severe educational needs
that they cannot be accommodated
in a special education program solely
for one of the impairments. The term
does not include deaf-blindness.”
In other words, a student whose
special needs are categorized under
multiple disabilities requires
coinciding
adaptions for more than one
disability. The exception is the
combination deafness and
blindness, as this pair of
impairments has its own
classification.
Given the numerous
disability category
combinations possible,
the designation multiple
disabilities
encompasses a broad
range of traits.
Common
characteristics
include:
• Hampered speech
and communication
skills,
• challenges with
mobility and a need for
assistance in performing
everyday
activities.
• Medical conditions such
as seizures and “water
on the brain”
(hydrocephalus) can
accompany multiple
disabilities.
A student prone to seizures
raises safety concerns
inside a classroom.
Other common educational
challenges revolve around
the following issues:
• Finding a setting suitable
to the child’s
intelligence
level
• A child’s ability to
effectively communicate
with teachers, support
staff and peers
• A student’s capability to
function in the
classroom
• Assessing and
compensating for visual
or hearing impairments
Staying mindful about medical conditions can assist with
classroom placement, as can being aware of a student’s
intelligence level. Assistive technology (AT) and alternative
communication methods, including text-to-speech
technologies, hearing aids and sign language, can neutralize
communication problems.
Physical therapy and occupational therapy can ease physical
challenges, and in turn, they can improve a student’s ability to
function inside the classroom. Assistive technology and special
education aids can be helpful here as well. Meanwhile, an
assigned aid can provide assistance in cases in which
functioning independently is difficult or impossible.
Finally, solutions ranging from priority seating to alternative
textbooks (braille, audio, etc.) to hearing aids and sign language
can compensate for visual and hearing impairments. A closer
look at the specific disability categories which comprise a
student’s multiple disabilities can supply further suggestions
for overcoming educational challenges.

9. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in dealing with the
affected child
An orthopedic impairment
is defined by as “a severe
orthopedic impairment
that adversely affects a
child’s
educational performance.”
The term includes
impairments caused by a
congenital anomaly [birth
defects], impairments caused
by disease (e.g.,
poliomyelitis, bone
tuberculosis), and
impairments from other
causes (e.g.,
cerebral palsy,
amputations, and
fractures or burns that
cause contractures).” Put
directly, orthopedic
impairments involve
physical disabilities which
could affect the academic
process.
As the definition demonstrates,
orthopedic impairments can stem
from various causes. While most
of the causes listed are fairly self
explanatory, “burns that cause
contractures” warrants further
explanation. A “contracture” is a
permanent shortening (as of
muscle, tendon, or scar tissue)
producing deformity or
distortion.”
An evaluation is required for a
disability to be classified as an
orthopedic impairment. While the
exact requirements for such an
evaluation vary by location, this
process generally includes a
medical assessment performed
by a doctor, detecting how the
impairment may impact a child’s
academic
performance and observing the
child in his or her educational
atmosphere.
Considering the diversity in
conditions that are
embodied by the
orthopedic
impairments category,
educational challenges
will differ case by case,
and the strategies used
in each case should focus
on a student’s unique
needs. Possible
academic barriers include:
• Non-accessible
transportation
• Trouble maneuvering
around the
classroom
• Difficulty navigating school
hallways
• Earning mandated physical
education credit
• Communicating effectively
Teachers should keep in mind mobility devices (such as
wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes) when arranging
classroom furniture and assigning seats. For example, placing a
student who uses a walker close to your room’s entrance is
usually more practical than placing him or her in the middle of the
classroom.
Navigating school hallways is an especially prevalent issue
for junior high and high school students because they move
from class to class throughout the day. However, an
individualized
education program (IEP) can indicate that a student’s
schedule should be arranged to eliminate excessive walking
back and forth. In addition, students can be granted access
to the school’s elevator to allow them to travel safely
between floors.
Solutions to the physical education requirement should
correspond to the student’s particular physical abilities. A
student with a more mild orthopedic impairment may be
able to participate in gym class, while a doctor’s note can
excuse a student with a severe limitation from
participating.
Finally, the same strategies that are used to address
communication difficulties in students with a range of
disabilities can be helpful for students with orthopedic
impairments. These include communication-based
assistive technology and speech therapy.

10. Disability/SLN & Description Common Traits Educational Challenges Tips for Teachers and Parents in
dealing with the affected child
An umbrella term, “other health impairment”
(OHI) encompasses a range of conditions.
Several such disorders in OHI’s official definition
are: “having limited strength, vitality, or
alertness, including a heightened alertness to
environmental stimuli, that results in limited
alertness with respect to the educational
environment, that— (a) is due to chronic or
acute health problems such as asthma,
attention deficit disorder or attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a
heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning,
leukemia, nephritis [a kidney disorder],
rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and
Tourette syndrome; and (b) adversely affects a
child’s educational performance.”
Other conditions not directly named in the
definition can still meet the qualifications
needed to fall within the OHI category.
Researching the traits of a
specific condition within the
classification of OHI will
lead to a better
understanding of the
common traits of that
condition—an
understanding that is much
more practical than
knowing the traits of the
category as a whole.
The vast net cast by the other health
impairment category broadens the
range of educational challenges that
an OHI can create. For example,
compare epilepsy and AD/HD. The
educational challenges presented by
epilepsy revolve around safety
issues linked with seizures; in
contrast, the academic barriers
related to AD/HD involve trouble
concentrating and difficulty sitting
still. The vast majority of students
served in the OHI category have
AD/HD. Since that disorder was
included in this category, the
number of students labeled OHI has
grown significantly.
Successfully educating students with
OHIs begins with individualized
education programs (IEPs).
An IEP should list all of a student’s
special needs. Parents, whether their
child gets access to medicine, has
specific nutritional needs or receives
other appropriate accommodations,
reiterate these needs to their child’s
educators to ensure that they are
aware.
In cases in which the school nurse plays
a vital role in managing an OHI, both
teachers and parents should
communicate regularly with the nurse.