The document discusses the identification and assessment of students with disabilities. There are two main purposes of identification and assessment: to determine if a student is eligible for special education services, and to decide what those services will be. A student must meet at least one of the thirteen disability criteria under IDEA and require special education services to access an appropriate education. While some students are eligible but do not need services, others need services but may not meet eligibility criteria. Classification focuses on both medical and social models of disability, with more clearly medical disabilities identified early by physicians. The current classification system has benefits but alternatives focus more on dimensions of performance and the knowledge base for effective interventions.