Definitions of Disabilities:
Autism: A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication
and social interaction, generally evident before age 3 that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance. 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. The term does not apply if a child’s
educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has a serious
emotional disturbance. A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could
be identified as having autism if the requirements of the first two sentences of this definition are
satisfied.
Cognitive Disability: Significantly below-average general intellectual capability that exists
along with deficits in adaptive behavior (in other words, lack of ability to adapt). It is
demonstrated during the child’s developmental period and negatively affects a child’s
educational performance.
Deaf-blindness: Hearing and visual impairments occurring together. The combination causes
such severe communication and other developmental and educational problems that the child
with deaf-blindness cannot be accommodated in special education programs designed only for
children with deafness or only for children with blindness.
Deafness: A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child in unable to process language
through hearing, with or without amplification, and the child’s educational performance is
affected.
Emotional disturbance: A condition showing one or more of the following characters over a
long period of time and to a dree that is affects a child’s educational performance , resulting in :
* an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; * an
inability to build or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers; * inappropriate
types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances; * a general pervasive mood of
unhappiness or depression ; or* a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated
with personal or school problems; * the term included schizophrenia – the term does not apply to
children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determines that they have a serious emotional
disturbance.
Hearing Impairment: Impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance, but that is not included under the definition of
deafness.
Multiple Disabilities: Impairments that occur simultaneously (such as cognitive disabilityblindness and cognitive disability-orthopedic impairment), the combination of which causes such
severe educational problems that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs
solely for the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.
Orthopedic Impairment: A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance. The term included impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g.
clubfoot, absence of some member) impairments cause by disease (e.g. poliomyelitis, bone
tuberculosis) and impairments from other causes (e.g. cerebral palsy, amputation and fractures or
burns that cause contractures)
Other Health Impairment: Having limited strength, vitality , or alertness including a
heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the
educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma,
attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart
condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever or sickle cell anemia
and Tourette syndrome; and adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Specific Learning Disability: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes
involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, and spell or to do mathematical calculations. The
term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction,
dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning
problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor abilities, of cognitive disability,
of emotional disturbance or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.
Speech or Language Impairment: A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired
articulation, language impairment or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance.
Traumatic Brain Injury: An injury to the brain caused by external physical force or by other
medical conditions, including but not limited to stroke, anoxia, infectious disease, aneurysm,
brain tumors and neurological insults resulting from medical or surgical treatments. The injury
results in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries, as
well as to other medical conditions that result in acquired brain injuries. The injuries result in
impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning;
abstract thinking; judgment; problem solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities;
psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does
not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain injuries induced by birth
trauma.
Visual Impairment Including Blindness: Impairment in vision that, even with correction,
adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and
blindness. Visual impairment for any child means: A visual impairment, not primarily perceptual
in nature, resulting in a measured visual acuity of 20/70 or poorer in the better eye with
correction; or a physical eye condition that affects visual functioning to the extent that special
education placement, materials and/or services are required in an educational setting.
School Psychologists: The Educational Service Center of Lorain County provides highly
qualified and licensed/certified school psychologists who are available to provide quality support
to students. The school psychologists conduct a multi-factored evaluation using appropriate
instruments for individual children identified as or suspected to have a disability and then
contributing to the written reports of the team. The school psychologist also serves as a member
of pupil personnel team in designing interventions, curricular approaches and appropriate
psycho-educational intervention strategies for students with disabilities. Services may include
evaluation and assessment, planning and support services to students, their families and other
professionals. School psychologists also are available to participate in intervention assistance
teams as deemed necessary by districts. Due to on-going changes in special education services as
a result of litigation and recent legislation, school psychologists participate in professional
development activities that allow them to remain abreast of special education, law and best
practices legal and psychological issues that are implemented in the schools. School
Psychologists in each district are designated to serve the needs of the assigned districts.
Speech and Language Pathology: Speech and language pathologists (SLP) work closely with
educational teams to identify and serve students with language and communication delays.
Direct, consultative and/or monitoring services may be provided, as determined by the IEP team.
Services include: speech, language and hearing screenings, standardized testing of suspected
disabilities, creating and implementing in-depth individualized therapy programs and increasing
awareness of potential communication problems. Students receive services for disorders of
articulation, receptive language, expressive language, voice, stuttering and hearing impairment.
Services are provided through individual small group and/or whole class instruction. SLPs are
qualified and licensed therapists who understand school based therapy. SLPs may participate in
assessment and serve on intervention assistance teams as requested by school administration.
Occupational Therapists: Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants are part
of the education team within a school district. Therapy is a related service provided to students
with identified disabilities to help them achieve success in the educational environment. In the
school setting OTs support academic and non-academic outcomes including social skills, math,
reading, writing, behavior management, self-help skills, prevocational/ vocational participation
for students age 3 to 21. They support and develop interventions plans for identified students in
the areas of sensory motor and sensory processing, fine motor skills, prewriting and visual motor
that support their academic learning. The services offered by the OT may include direct therapy,
consultation with teacher and parents, staff training, assessments to determine assistive
technology needs, assisting with ETRs and IEPS.
Physical therapist: A Physical Therapist in the school setting is there to assist the educators in
facilitating a learning environment for success. This means that unlike a private Physical
Therapist (one in a hospital or clinic), the school P.T. is concerned with assuring that each child
is capable of functioning in the school setting. For instance: Can a child with muscle weakness
independently climb the steps to make it to class? Is the building accessible for the child? Can
the child walk efficiently enough to make it to class on time? Does the child have sufficient
range of motion and strength to allow him/her to sit in a classroom chair, maneuver safely on the
playground equipment or stand up from the floor? While there are orthopedic or neurological
problems that occur in some children, it is the school P.T.'s responsibility to intervene on the
behalf of these children when these problems interfere with their education. The services offered
by the PT may include direct therapy, consultation with teacher and parents, staff training, and
assisting with ETRs and IEPS.