According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts must provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children and adolescents with disabilities. And these students must learn side by side with peers as much as possible — something called the least restrictive environment (LRE).

When a student is eligible for special education services, it indicates the student is displaying academic, emotional, or behavioral challenges that are significantly impeding their ability to learn and function in the general education setting.

Special education eligibilities

  • A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts; deficits in nonverbal communication used for social interaction, and deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. Other symptoms include restricted and repetitve behaviors, insistence on sameness, and sensory sensitivies.

  • A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

    -An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

    -An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

    -Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

    -A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

    -A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.”

    As defined by IDEA, emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia but does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

  • A child with OHI is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for OHI due to chronic or acute health problems.

  • Problems with a persons ability to think, learn, remember, use judgement and/or make decisions. Intellectual disabilities or specific learning disabilities would fall under this category.