Disability vs.

handicap

Disability-measurable impairment or limitation that “interferes with a person’s ability, for example, to
walk, lift, here or learn.

Handicap- is a disadvantage that occurs as a result of a disability or impairment. The degree of

disadvantage is often dependent on the adjustment made by both the person and his environment.
Therefore, the extent to which a disability handicaps an individual can vary greatly.

Categories of exceptionalities

-specific cognitive or academic difficulties

1. Learning disabilities- involve difficulties in specific cognitive processes like perception, language,
memory or metacognition that are not due to other disabilities like mental retardation, emotional or
behavioral disorders, or sensory impairments.

2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-manifested I either or both of these: (difficulty in

focusing and maintaining attention; and recurrent hyperactive and impulsive behavior)

3. Speech and communication Disorder- there is difficulty in spoken language including voice disorders,
inability to produce sounds correctly, stuttering, difficulty in spoken language comprehension that
significantly hamper classroom performance.

-social/emotional and behavioral difficulties

1.Autism- condition manifested by different levels of impaired social interaction and communication,
repetitive behavior and limited interests. Individuals with an autism usually have an intense need for
routine and a predictable environment.

2. Mental retardation- refers to significant sub=average intelligence and deficits in adaptive behavior.
There is difficulty in managing activities of daily living and in conducting themselves appropriately in
social situations.

3. Emotional/Conduct Disorders- this involves the presence of emotional states like depression and
aggression over a considerable amount of time that they notable disturb learning and performance in
school.

-Physical disabilities and health impairments

1.Physical and health impairments- this involves physical or medical conditions (usually long term)
including one or more of these: limited energy and strength; reduced mental alertness; and little muscle
control.

2. Severe and multiple disabilities-this refers to the presence of two or more different types of
disabilities, at times at a profound level. The combination of disabilities makes it necessary to make
specific adaptations and have more specialized educational programs.

-Sensory impairments
1. Visual impairment-these are conditions when there is malfunction of the eyes or optic nerves that
prevent normal vision even with corrective lenses.

2. Hearing impairment- these involve malfunction of the ear or auditory nerves that hinders perception
of sounds within the frequency range of normal speech.

-giftedness- involves a significantly high level of cognitive development. There is unusually high ability or
aptitude in one or more of these aspects: intellectual ability, aptitude in academic subjects, creativity,
visual or performing arts or leadership.