Disability Profiles

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there are 13 categories under which a student is eligible to receive the protections and services promised by this law. In our disability profiles, we define each disability as specified by IDEA and explain it in plain English; these profiles also outline the common traits and educational challenges associated with each disability, and provide tips for parents and teachers.

1. Autism
2. Deaf-Blindness
3. Deafness
4. Emotional Disturbance
5. Hearing Impairment
6. Intellectual Disability*
7. Multiple Disabilities
8. Orthopedic Impairment
9. Other Health Impairments
10. Specific Learning Disability
11. Speech or Language Impairment
12. Traumatic Brain Injury
13. Visual Impairment

*Intellectual disability has also been referred to as “Mental Retardation” (MR) in the past, and this term and its acronym may be used colloquially or in older documentation. It is not, however, a currently accepted practice to refer to individuals with intellectual disabilities as “mentally retarded.”