Chapter 5: Low Incidence Disabilities

Definition

Low Incidence Disability Defined Low incidence disability is defined as a severe disabling condition with
an expected incidence rate of less than one percent of total statewide enrollment in special education.

Definitions of disabilities categorized as low-incidence vary in scope. Broadly defined, low-incidence

disabilities refer to a visual impairment or hearing loss, deaf-blindness, and significant cognitive
impairment. For children, the definition extends to any impairment that requires individualized
intervention services provided by professionals with highly specialized skills and knowledge in order for
the child to benefit from his or her education.

Low Incidence Disabilities are:

1. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is defined as a range of pervasive developmental disorders,

with onset in childhood, that adversely affect a pupil's functioning and result in the need for
special education instruction and related services. ASD is a disability category characterized by
an uneven developmental profile and a pattern of qualitative impairments in several areas of
development, including social interaction, communication, or the presence of restricted,
repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.
2. Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) means a diminished sensitivity to sound, or hearing loss, that is
expressed in terms of standard audio logical measures. Hearing loss has the potential to affect
educational, communicative, or social functioning that may result in the need for special
education instruction and related services.
3. DeafBlind (DB) means concomitant hearing and vision impairments, the combination of which
causes 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.
4. Other Health Disabilities (OHD) is defined as a wide range of chronic or acute health conditions
that may be either congenital or acquired. Health disabilities may be mild or severe, progressive,
and/or have symptoms that vary in intensity from day to day. Medications, treatments,
therapies, and repeated hospitalizations for a range of chronic or acute health conditions can
affect a student’s ability to learn and function at school.
5. Physically Impaired (PI) is a low incidence disability area that is represented by approximately
1% of all students in Minnesota receiving special education services. PI is defined as a medically
diagnosed, chronic physical impairment - either congenital or acquired - that may adversely
affect physical or academic functioning and result in the need for special education and related
services.
6. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a low incidence special education category that is defined as an
injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional
disability and/or psycho-social impairment that may adversely affect a student's performance
and result in the need for special education and related services. The term does not apply to
brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
 7. Visually Impaired (BVI) means a medically verified visual impairment accompanied by
limitations in sight that interfere with acquiring information or interaction with the environment
to the extent that special education instruction and related services may be needed
8. Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD), which includes students labeled DCD Mild-
Moderate and DCD Severe-Profound, is defined as a condition that results in intellectual
functioning significantly below average and that is associated with concurrent deficits in
adaptive behavior that require special education and related services.
9. Severely Multiply Impaired (SMI) means a student who has severe learning and developmental
problems resulting from two or more disability conditions, including deaf/hard of hearing,
physically impaired, developmental cognitive disability: severe-profound range, visually
impaired, emotional or behavioral disorders, or autism spectrum disorders.

More details are on the below link.

https://www.slideshare.net/sander60tx/low-incidence-disabilities

Services to Low Incidence Disabilities

The IEP team determines the Services for the student. A student must have a service code identified in
their IEP that is appropriate to the service that is being provided.

• Specialized Services for Low Incidence Disabilities: Low incidence services are defined as those
provided to the student population of orthopedically impaired (OI), visually impaired (VI), deaf,
hard of hearing (HH), or deaf-blind (DB). Typically, services are provided in education settings by
an itinerant teacher or an itinerant teacher/specialist. Consultation is provided to the teacher,
staff and parents as needed. These services must be clearly written in the student's IEP,
including frequency and duration of the services to the student.
• Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services: These services include speech therapy, speech
reading, auditory training and/or instruction in the student's mode of communication.
Rehabilitative and educational services; adapting curricula, methods, and the learning
environment; and special consultation to students, parents, teachers, and other school
personnel may also be included.
• Specialized Vision Services: This is a broad category of services provided to students with visual
impairments. It includes assessment of functional vision; curriculum modifications necessary to
meet the student's educational needs, including Braille, large type, and aural media; instruction
in areas of need; concept development and academic skills; communication skills (including
alternative modes of reading and writing); social, emotional, career, vocational, and
independent living skills. It may include coordination of other personnel providing services to
the students (such as transcribers, readers, counselors, orientation and mobility specialists,
career/vocational staff, and others) and collaboration with the student's classroom teacher.
• Audiological Services: These services include measurements of acuity, monitoring amplification,
and frequency modulation system use. Consultation services with teachers, parents or speech
pathologists must be identified in the IEP as to reason, frequency and duration of contact;
infrequent contact is considered assistance and would not be included.