Special Education Categories in Illinois
District # 429 Provides an Array of Services for our Students
by Barbara House
November 07, 2007
Special Education is not a place; it is an array of services which can be offered in various settings. Services and settings include:
Developmental Delay:for pre-school through age nine; children with delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, or adaptive development. Emphasis is on general development and readiness for primary grades.
Multiple Needs/Multiple Disabilities:for students who have several impairments, severe in nature, which significantly affect their ability to benefit from the regular education curriculum. Emphasis is on the development of independent functioning and facilitated communication. Instruction and related services are provided based on the unique needs of the student in a regular or special education setting.
Cognitive Disability: for students who have limited intellectual, adaptive behavior and academic achievement levels, which are mild or moderate in degree. An emphasis is placed on functional academics and social skills development. Instruction and related services are provided based on the unique needs of the student in a regular or special education setting. A child who is diagnosed with a mental impairment typically learns at a rate below other children of the same age.
Specific Learning Disability:for students who have a disorder in one or more processes needed to receive, understand, or express information (psychological processing). As a result, the child may have difficulty with one or more of the following: basic reading skills, reading comprehension, written expression, math calculation, listening comprehension, or oral expression. Children with learning disabilities usually show a significant difference between ability and achievement. Academic support and/or services are provided in regular or special education settings. Instruction and related services are provided based on the unique needs of the student.
Physical/Orthopedic Impairment:for students with significant physical/health limitations which may interfere with learning. Academic support and/or adaptation of the physical plant are services which are provided in regular or special education settings.
Other Health Impairment:for students with a medical diagnosis including but not limited to seizure disorder, asthma, attention deficit disorder, or diabetes, that causes educationally related problems. Academic support and/or adaptation of the physical plant are services which are provided in regular or special education settings.
Hearing/Vision Impairment:for students with hearing or vision disabilities which require special services and/or materials in order to develop his/her educational potential. Academic support and/or adaptation of the physical plant are services which are provided in regular or special education settings. Instruction and related services are provided based on the unique needs of the student.
Speech/Language Impairment:for students who exhibit problems with the mechanics of speech production: voice, fluency, articulation; and/or for students who have difficulty in understanding or expressing spoken or written ideas. Services are provided in regular or special settings depending on the student’s individual needs.
Emotional Disorder:for students who exhibit one or more of the following characteristics over an extended period of time which adversely affect their educational performance: inappropriate behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances, an inability to develop or maintain interpersonal relationships with peers and adults, general pervasive mood of anxiety, depression, or a tendency to develop physical symptoms/fears with personal or school problems. Academic support and/or services are provided in regular or special education settings. Instruction and related services are provided in various settings depending on the student’s individual needs.
Autism:for students with a developmental disability that generally appears before the age of three and significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. Services and academic support are provided in regular or special settings depending on the student’s individual needs.
Traumatic Brain Injury:for children who have had a sudden injury to the brain, caused by an external event resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychological and social problems that affect educational performance. Instruction and related services are provided based on the unique needs of the student in regular or special education settings.
