Disability Definitions
AUTISM
A developmental disability that significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction evident before age three that adversely affects educational performance.
DEAF-BLINDNESS
A combination of both hearing and visual impairments causing severe communication and other developmental and educational needs.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
A significant delay in one or more of the following areas may identify a child for this area of the disability on his or her third birthday:
- Adaptive development
- Cognitive development
- Communication development
- Social and emotional development
- Physical development
EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE
A disability in which one or more of the following characteristics are exhibited over a long period of time and to a marked degree, adversely affecting educational performance:
- An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors;
- An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships;
- Inappropriate type of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;
- A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression;
- A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both deaf and hard of hearing.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Significantly below average general intellectual functioning existing along with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects the child's educational performance.
MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
The combination of impairments such as mental retardation and blindness or mental retardation and orthopedic impairment with causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include fearfulness.
ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT
Limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems such as heart condition, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, or attention deficit disorder. The impairment must adversely affect educational performance.
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
A disorder in one or more basic psychological process involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
A communication disorder such as articulation, voice, language, or fluency, which adversely affects a child's educational performance.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
An acquired injury to the brain caused by external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment or both, that adversely affects educational performance.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
A visual impairment that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.
PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION
Children between the ages of three and six with any of the previously mentioned disabilities may qualify for preschool special education services.
GIFTED
Children who perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others their age may qualify for gifted services.
For more information on the Special Education Program guidelines, please visit the Special Education section of the Alabama State Department of Education's website.
Back to Top