Areas of Disabilities
There are 14 categories of disability under the federal IDEA and the disabling condition must not only exist but it must require that the student need special education and related services. Most of the disability categories also require that disability cause an adverse effect on the student’s educational performance. (34 C.F.R. 300.8)
Autism
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Visual Impairment including blindness
Emotional Disability (ED)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Other Health Impairment (OHI)
Speech or Language Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Hearing Impairment including deafness
Deaf – Blind
Intellectual Disability (ID) (formerly Mental Retardation)
Multiple Disabilities (MD)
Deafness
Developmental Delay [in N.C. only children 3 – 7 y.o., See N.C.G.S. 115C-106.3(2)]
Parent Rights & Special Education Information
Wrightslaw Special Education Law - https://www.wrightslaw.com/
A Parents Guide to Special Education Law - https://law.duke.edu/childedlaw/docs/Parents%27_guide.pdf or https://law.duke.edu/childedlaw/special-education-nc/
NCDPI - https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/exceptional-children-division
Behavior / Discipline: Parent/Educator Support Links through NCDPI https://tinyurl.com/yyao7d4a
North Carolina Compilation of School Discipline Laws and Regulations https://tinyurl.com/y6mepcsq
Dispute Resolution: Contacts through NCDPI https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/parent-resources/dispute-resolution/contacts
Resources:
Support Organizations for Families:
ADHD: http://www.chadd.org/ , https://www.additudemag.com/ , https://soarnc.org/adhd-resources-for-parents/, https://www.tuck.com/adhd-and-sleep/, http://www.ldonline.org/article/5911/,
Autism: http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/resources/for-families/ , https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-library/websites-families , http://teacch.com/ , https://www.tuck.com/autism-spectrum-disorder-and-sleep/
Specific Learning Disabilities: https://www.understood.org/en , https://www.ncld.org/ , http://www.ldonline.org/
Dyslexia - https://dyslexiaida.org/frequently-asked-questions-2/
Dyscalculia - http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/math
Emotional Disability: https://www.ffcmh.org/
Intellectual Disability (ID) : http://www.ndss.org/ , http://www.arcnc.org/ , http://www.ndsccenter.org/ , https://www.tuck.com/down-syndrome-and-sleep/
Communication Disabilities: https://www.asha.org/public/ , https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/ , http://deafchildren.org/ , https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ChildhoodApraxia/
Visual Impairment: https://www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.aspx , https://nfb.org/
Brain / Spinal Cord Injury: http://www.biausa.org/ , http://www.spinalcord.org/ , https://www.epilepsy.com/
Orthopedic Impairment:
Cerebral Palsy: http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/definition , http://ucp.org/
Spina Bifida: http://spinabifidaassociation.org/
Developmental Delay: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/early-intervention/what-you-need-to-know-about-developmental-delays
Tourette Syndrome: Greater Carolinas Tourette Support Group www.facebook.com/greatercarolinastourette/ https://tourette.org/
Traumatic Brain Injury: http://www.biausa.org/brain-injury-children.htm
What is the difference between 504 plans and IEPs? The following links will help explain the differences.
Understood website - compares 504 & IEP side by side
Office of Civil Rights (OCR) - Protecting Students with Disabilities
Parents Guide to Special Education in NC - Page 26 talks about 504 plans