Areas of Exceptionality

Autism
A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Deaf-Blindness (DB)
The combinations of hearing and visual impairments which cause such severe communication and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.

Deafness
A hearing impairment that is so severe that a child is impaired in processing information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects educational performance.

Emotional Disturbance (ED)
A condition creating emotional interference with a student’s educational progress, existing over a long period of time and to a marked degree.

Gifted (GI)
Demonstrating the potential for performing at significantly higher levels of accomplishment in one or more academic fields due to intellectual ability, when compared to others of similar age, experience, and environment.

Hearing Impairment (HI)
An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Mental Retardation (MR)
Substantially below average general intellectual functioning, existing with deficits in adaptive behavior that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Multiple Disabilities
The combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments.

Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
A motor disability caused by an anomaly, disease or impairment where the child requires specialized and integrated services in order to benefit from an educational program.

Other Health Impairment (OHI)
Having limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Specific Learning Disability (LD)
A disorder that affects students’ ability to interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain.

Speech or Language Impairment (SL)
A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force. The term applies to open or closed head injuries.

Visual Impairment (VI)
(Including blindness) An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

(Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - 1997 Reauthorized 2000)
Source: http://www.fhsec.org/file-cabinet/publications/educational-terminology-and-definitions-associated-with-special-education-services-1.html