TYPES OF DISABILITIES AFFECTING CHILDREN AND

ADOLESCENTS
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD):
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a
condition that can make it hard for a person to sit still,
control behavior, and pay attention.
Autism/ Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD):
Autism/PDD is a neurological disorder that affects a childs
ability to communicate, understand language, play, and
relate to others. PDD represents a distinct category of
developmental disabilities that share many of the same
characteristics.
Blindness/ Visual Impairment: The terms partially
sighted, low vision, legally blind, and totally blind are used
in the educational context to describe students with visual
impairments.
Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral Palsy is a condition caused by
injury to the parts of the brain that control our ability to use
our muscles and bodies.
Deaf-Blindness: It may seem that deaf-blindness refers to
a total inability to see or hear. However, in reality deafblindness is a condition in which the combination of hearing
and visual losses in children cause "such severe
communication and other developmental and educational
needs that they cannot be accommodated in special
education programs solely for children with deafness or
children with blindness" (34 CFR 300.7(c)(2),1999) or
multiple disabilities.
Deafness and Hearing Loss: Hearing impairment is
defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) as "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or
fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational
performance." Deafness is defined as "a hearing impairment
that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing
linguistic information through hearing, with or without

amplification." Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition

that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or
most of its forms. In contrast, a child with a hearing loss can
generally respond to auditory stimuli, including speech.
Developmental Delay (DD): Developmental Delay is when
your child does not reach their developmental milestones at
the expected times. It is an ongoing, major delay in the
process of development. Delay can occur in one or many
areasfor example, motor, language, social, or thinking
skills.
Down Syndrome: Down syndrome is the most common
and readily identifiable chromosomal condition associated
with intellectual disability. It is caused by a chromosomal
abnormality: for some unexplained reason, an accident in
cell development results in 47 instead of the usual 46
chromosomes. This extra chromosome changes the orderly
development of the body and brain. In most cases, the
diagnosis of Down syndrome is made according to results
from a chromosome test administered shortly after birth.
Emotional Disturbance: Emotional Disturbance is 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." [Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34,
Section 300.7(c)(4)(i)]
Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a physical condition that occurs when
there is a sudden, brief change in how the brain works.
When brain cells are not working properly, a person's

consciousness, movement, or actions may be altered for a

short time. These physical changes are called epileptic
seizures. Epilepsy is therefore sometimes called a seizure
disorder. Epilepsy affects people in all nations and of all
races.
Intellectual Disability (formerly Mental Retardation):
Intellectual Disability is a term used when a person has
certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as
communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social
skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and
develop more slowly than a typical child.
Learning Disabilities (LD): Learning Disability is a general
term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A
learning disability can cause a person to have trouble
learning and using certain skills. The skills most often
affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning,
and doing math.
Severe and/or Multiple Disabilities: People with severe
disabilities are those who traditionally have been labeled as
having severe to profound cognitive impairments or mental
retardation.
Speech and Language Impairments: Speech and
language disorders refer to problems in communication and
related areas such as oral-motor function - sucking,
swallowing, drinking, eating.
Spina Bifida: Spina Bifida means cleft spine, which is an
incomplete closure in the spinal column. In general, the
three types of spina bifida (from mild to severe) are: Spina
Bifida Occulta, Meningocele
and Myelomeningocele. Generally, people use the terms
"spina bifida" and "myelomeningocele" interchangeably.
Traumatic Brain Injury: A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an
injury to the brain caused by the head being hit by
something or shaken violently. (The exact definition of TBI,
according to special education law, is given below.) This

injury can change how the person acts, moves, and thinks. A
traumatic brain injury can also change how a student learns
and acts in school. The term TBI is used for head injuries
that can cause changes in one or more areas, such as:
thinking and reasoning, understanding words, remembering
things, paying attention, solving problems, thinking
abstractly, talking, behaving, walking and other physical
activities, seeing and/or hearing, and learning.

..

Understanding ADD and

ADHD in Children
ADD and ADHD in children is estimated to occur in 35% of our school-aged children. Some studies show
that it affects as many as 8%. Children affected can
have problems paying attention, concentrating,
difficulty following simple instructions, have a need to
physically move their body and are very compulsive.
Both attention deficit disorder and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder can interfere with school
functioning.

There are three types of symptoms that tend to

correlate with ADD and ADHD in children. Some
children will have symptoms from all three categories.
Some will have hyperactivity and impulsivity
symptoms but are able to pay attention. Those with
ADD, do not suffer from the symptom of hyperactivity.

1. INATTENTION

that children be evaluated for ADD and ADHD between

the ages of 6-12 years old.

Children with inattention are easily distracted. They

cant follow directions or finish tasks, appear not to
listen, make careless mistakes, are forgetful about
daily activities, have problems organizing tasks, avoid
sitting still, lose things and tend to daydream.

In order to receive a diagnosis, a child should show SIX

or more of the above symptoms for more than six
months and the symptoms should occur in more than
TWO settings.

2. HYPERACTIVITY

CAUSES:

ADHD in children can result in squirming, fidgeting or

bouncing behavior. They often struggle to stay seated,
have difficulty playing quietly and are always moving
and excessively talking.

ADD and ADHD in children are NOT caused by eating

too much sugar, watching TV, having a poor home life
or food allergies. Studies do show that these disorders
can be caused by the following:

3. IMPULSIVITY
Impulsive children have a difficult time taking turn,
blurt out answers, and often interrupt others.

1
It is important to remember that many of these
symptoms are common to all children and do not
necessarily indicate this disorder. ADD and ADHD in
children are both considered medical conditions and
should only be diagnosed by a physician, NOT by your
school. It is very difficult to diagnosis this disorder
under the age of 6 or as a teenager. It is recommended

Heredity: ADD and ADHD tend to run in families

Chemical Imbalance
Altered Brain Function: Brain scans reveal differences
in the structure and brain activity.
Neo-Natal Activities: Maternal smoking, drug use, and
pre-maturity all increase the risk.
Toxins: Exposure to environmental toxins including
lead and PCBs.

Children with ADD and ADHD are at higher risk for

developing oppositional defiant disorder, conduct
disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, learning
disabilities and Tourettes syndrome. They are also at
higher risk to try drugs and alcohol in their future in an
attempt to self medicate their symptoms. 50% of
children will continue to struggle with this disorder into
adulthood.

TREATMENT:

ADD and ADHD in children are both more common in

boys and are considered childhood developmental
disorders. Medication and behavior therapy may be
recommended. Stimulants are often prescribed but
they can have mild to serious side effects including
decreased appetite, weight loss, sleeping problems
and irritability. All medications should be monitored by
a doctor.

Children with ADD and ADHD are also more at risk to

have other learning disabilities and disorders such as
obsessive compulsive disorder. It is important when
determining treatment options to make sure that your
child receives a comprehensive evaluation that has
examined

ADD and ADHD AND SPECIAL EDUCATION:

A particular challenge for children with ADD and ADHD

is that this disorder is NOT listed as one of the 13
qualifying categories of learning disabilities identified
by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Parents are often rightly confused when their school

tells them that their child does not qualify for special
education when their doctor has just told them their
child has this disorder. This is because having ADD or
ADHD is not an automatic entry into special education.
If you feel your childs ability to learn is being
adversely affected, you should ask your school for a
student study team (SST) meeting.

The law is written so that each IEP team can determine

what a child needs in order to be successful. If the
team determines that modifications are appropriate for
your child, they can be implemented through a 504
plan. Section 504 states that any child with a disability
that affects a major life activity, such as learning, is
subject to appropriate accommodations or
modifications. This includes ADD and ADHD in children.

If you believe that your child's disorder is severe

enough to warrant a placement in special education,
you can request a special education evaluation. Here,
you can introduce medical documentation and support
from your physician(s). The IEP team will review the
results of the evaluation, hear from medical personnel
as well as from school staff. If the team determines
that your childs ADD/ADHD is severe, the IEP team
can agree to qualify your child for special education
under the category of Other Health Impaired.

children with Aspergers usually have normal speech

development, talk by age two and have few if any
delays in developmental milestones. They often have
excellent auditory and visual perception and possess a
average to above average IQ.

However, the law states that a child must be served in

the least restrictive environment. IF the IEP team feels
the child can be served in regular education with a 504
plan, this should be the first step.

Poor social skills, have a hard time relating to others,

lack the instinct and skills needed to express thoughts
and feelings, and have the inability to empathize or
return emotion.

Children with special needs require structure. Structure

does not refer to rigidity or iron discipline, but to
arranging things so life is more predictable. A calm,
organized routine makes children feel safe and tends
to improve behavior.

May not recognize verbal or non-verbal cues or

understand social norms like eye contact or personal
space

..
Understanding Aspergers Syndrome
Aspergers syndrome is one of the autism spectrum
disorders or pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).
This neurological disorder makes it difficult for children
to make friends and interact with others because they
are socially awkward. It is different from autism in that

SYMPTOMS:

May have flat speech patterns that lack pitch, tone and
accent or may speak very formally.
May use language literally and not understand humor
or sarcasm, or the may speak without much emotion.
Might lack coordination, have unusual facial
expressions, body postures, poor handwriting, poor
balance, and difficultly with motor skills. Some may
flap their hands.

May only have a few interests or focus intensely on a

specific topic or subject.
Might be bothered by loud noises, lights, strong tastes
or textures.
Crave routine, schedules, and rigidity or feel that the
world is out of control.

other conditions like ADHD, depression, anxiety or

obsessive-compulsive disorder, medications may also
be prescribed.

SPECIAL EDUCATION:

Have sleep problems, nocturnal awakenings, or early

morning awakenings.
DIAGNOSIS:
Because children with Aspergers Syndrome usually
speak on time and have no significant delays in
developmental milestones, a diagnosis is often not
made until the child is between the ages of 4-11.
Usually, parents notice unusual symptoms and bring
these to the attention of their pediatrician. If the
disorder is suspected, your doctor may refer you to a
specialist to assess your childs speech and language
abilities, IQ, social skills level and motor abilities.

TREATMENT:

Treatment usually includes a variety of interventions

including speech and language therapy, behavior
modification, social skills training and educational
interventions. Because children with PDD often have

Specialized services can help a child with Asperger's

Syndrome by assisting them with social and behavioral
difficulties, issues with organization, self care and
social relationships. Sometimes, these children
experience anxiety if their schedule is disrupted or can
become agitated if they are placed in situations that
dont have a clear schedule or expectations.
GOALS:

Children with Aspergers Syndrome can have

behavioral goals in place of academic goals in their
individual education plan (IEP) if the child is not
experiencing academic difficulties. Or, a combination
of behavioral and academic goals may be needed.

If your child has been recently diagnosed with an

autism spectrum disorder, you should contact your
school and request a special education evaluation.

Treatment recommendations from your doctor should

be shared with the IEP team when determining your
childs goals and modifications.
..

occurrence in as many as 1-94 boys. It is unclear if this

is due to the different definitions of autism used today,
diagnostic practices or if the actual amount of cases
has increased.

Understanding the
Definition of Autism

There has also been an increase in the diagnosis of

Asperger's syndrome. Some parents claim their child
seemed different from birth while others say their child
developed normally and than later in life, lost skills.

SYMPTOMS of AUTISM:
The definition of autism is a complex process. Most
experts agree that autism is a brain development
disorder characterized by impaired social interactions,
limited communication and repetitive behaviors. Signs
usually appear before age 3. The cause isn't clear, but
recent scientific studies believe there is a strong
genetic base. New research comes out almost every
day on possible causes. Some groups advocate for
environmental causes such as induced labor, heavy
metals, pesticides and childhood vaccinations.

Signs usually are noticed during the first two years of

life. Symptoms can begin around 6 months of age and
become established by 2-3 years of age. They usually
continue throughout adulthood. Autism is not
distinguished by a single symptom, but a group of
symptoms that include the following:

Impairments in social interaction

Impairments in communication
Autism occurs four times more in boys than in girls.
The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders has
drastically risen since the 1980s. Some studies now
claim 1-150 children are diagnosed as autistic with

Repetitive behaviors
Restricted interests

Atypical eating
Social and communication impairments include a lack
of response to social stimuli, lack of smiling or eye
contact and not responding to ones name. Other
characteristics are lack of pretend play, lack of
imitation, inability to sustain conversation, aloofness
and acting like they dont seem to hear.

Repetitive behaviors are called stereotypy and involve

repeated movements such as hand flapping, making
sounds, head rolling and body rocking. Compulsive
behavior involves arranging objects or toys in stacks or
lines.

Restricted interests include an unvarying pattern of

daily activities and limited interests like a preoccupation with a single TV show, toy or game.

Self injuries are movements that injure or can injure

the child like eye poking, skin picking, hand biting and
head banging.

The DEFINATION OF AUTISM CAN RANGE FROM MILD to

SEVERE.

Determining how severe a child's symptoms are can

be based on their overall IQ and on how much daily
support the child needs.

DIAGNOSING AUTISM:

Doctors now recommend screening for autistic

symptoms at baby well checks beginning around 12
months. Speak to your pediatrician if you notice the
following:

No babbling by 12 months
No gesturing by 12 months

Sleep problems can include insomnia, nocturnal

awakening and early morning wakening.

No single words by 16 months

No two word spontaneous sentences by 24 months

Any loss of language or social skills.

The definition of autism is based on a child's
behavioral symptoms. To receive a diagnosis, a child
must have at least six symptoms. Two must be from
the social interaction list, one from the impairment of
communication list and one demonstrating restricted
and repetitive behavior. The onset of symptoms must
occur before age 3.

SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES:

Autism is one of the qualifying conditions outlined in

the thirteen categories of special education as defined
by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Beginning at age 3, a child with an official definition of
autism is entitled to a free appropriate education
(FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. What is
appropriate depends on your childs unique needs.

services that will be provided in order to meet the

needs of your child.

All school districts must offer preschool early

intervention programs for children with disabilities and
continue services through age 23. This includes
transition services to the elementary school. The most
important goal of any educational program should be
to help the child become more functionally
independent.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), structured teaching,

speech and language therapy, social skills therapy and
occupational therapy are all part of special education
services available to autistic children. Intensive ABA
has shown to be effective in improving the functioning
of pre-school children and is well established at
improving intellectual
performance.

Early intervention for children with autism has been

found to be key to improving functioning. County
regional centers and public school districts must
provide, at no cost to you, an Individual Family Service
Plan (IFSP). This plan is a written document that
describes your childs current level of functioning and
the anticipated outcome. It also lists the specific

IEP GOALS:

Sample goals for a child with receives a definition of

autism might focus on social skills, expressive verbal
language, increased engagement, improvement of fine
and gross motor skills, increase in pretend play and
increased independent skills. Medications and
alternative therapies are also available from private
therapists but parents may find these to be expensive.

If your child does not have one of the 13 categories of

special education, don't give up on finding a diagnosis.
Even if your child does not meet the official definition
of autism the IEP team can decide that a child qualifies
for special education services.

IDEA was specifically written to give IEP teams the

power to determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
PRIVATE PLACEMENTS:

School districts are legally responsible to pay for an

outside service ONLY if it can be shown by the IEP
team that the service is needed to meet the goals
outlined in the IEP AND the district itself cannot
provide the service.

Private placements are NOT usually granted and are

often a point of contention. School districts usually
receive adequate funding and have the capability to
provide most agreed upon services.
If your child does not meet the specific definition of
autism, instead they might have a specific learning
disorder, a communication disorder, Asperger's
syndrome, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, an
anxiety disorder, or another type of learning disability.

For example, even if a child does not receive a

diagnosis of autism from their physician, if they
possess characteristics that severely impacts their
ability to learn, the IEP team can recommend that the
child qualifies for special education. The team can
agree that the behaviors are pronounced enough to
warrant a definition of autism as the qualifying
condition or they can choose to qualify the child under
the heading of Other Health Impaired.
Not everyone agrees on what defines autism. Because
the definition of autism relies on a subjective analysis
of symptoms and not on a medical test, it is possible
for different evaluations to come up with different
recommendations. At the IEP meeting, agreeing on
appropriate services for your child can be frustrating.
Remember, that developing the IEP is a collaborative
process between you and the school district.

Agreeing on appropriate services may involve

significant negotiations. Non-profit organizations like
Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of America can
assist you with learning about the latest available
therapies, treatment and research. Resources like the
child behavior guide can provide you with information
and strategies related to child behavior, pervasive
developmental disorders and ADHD.

REMEMBER...being able to clearly state why you

believe a service is necessary for your child will help
you to be able to convince an IEP team.

Dyslexia in children is a learning disorder that makes it

difficult to read, write and spell. It is a neurological
problem, not an intellectual disability, where the brain
mixes up letters and words. Most children with this
disability are very bright, but not being able to read
well obviously causes school to be difficult.
Approximately 5-17% of the population suffers from
this disorder. It often runs in families. IDEA recognizes
this condition as a specific learning disability.

SYMPTOMS of DYSLEXIA in CHILDREN:

You can check out the Parent IEP Guide if you think
having this information in a workbook format would be
helpful to you. You can view the table of contents to
see if you feel it would be valuable to your family.

Talking later than average, slow to learn new words,

and problems with rhyming
Difficulty in following multiple step directions

Also, visit the section on parent support to learn

collaboration skills, mediation techniques and more
about your due process rights.

Problem with reading single words

Confusing small words

Understanding

Reversing shapes of written letters, like b and d

Dyslexia in Children

Writing words backwards.

Problems linking letters with sounds

Difficulty with learning the alphabet

Being confused by opposites

Very poor spelling

DIAGNOSIS:

Although dyslexia in children may be diagnosed by a

medical doctor, because it is a reading disorder, it may
first be noticed in school during the primary years. If
suspected, a specialist or school psychologist may
perform a battery of tests including an assessment of
reading abilities, short term memory, sequencing
skills, coding skills and an IQ test.

TREATMENT:

Therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist

or tutoring with a reading specialist may be
recommended. IEP goals usually focus on having the
child learn to understand how letters are linked to
sounds and how sounds make words. The child
practices reading aloud and they learn to listen and
repeat instructions. Medications are usually not part of
the treatment plan.

A child with a reading disability should qualify for

special education services under the category of
specific learning disability. The individualized
education program (IEP) should outline the services
that best meet the needs of the child. Interventions
may include sessions with a reading specialist, school
psychologist or a speech-language pathologist.

It is possible for a child with dyslexia to also suffer

from other learning disabilities.

If you suspect your child may have additional

disorders, you should meet with the school
psychologist or student study team (SST) to discuss
further interventions. The section on study skills may
also be helpful if you are looking for specific strategies
on how to strengthen your child's school performance.

Or visit these great informative sites for more specific

information and resources pertaining to dyslexia. They
include: Dyslexia-Reading Well and Beating Dyslexia.
.