Deaf-Blindness

Deaf-Blindness refers to concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. 
 

Deafness or Hearing Impairment

Deafness refers to a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child cannot hear or understand either speech or most sounds in the everyday environment, with or without amplification.  Hearing Impairment refers to an impairment in hearing of at least 40 decibels, which even with best correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.  An otologist's or audiologist's report indicating the extent of the hearing impairment is required

TPS Audiology Webpage       TPS Deaf Education Webpage

Developmental Delay

A student, age 3 through 8 years of age, is considered to be developmentally delayed when functioning  with a significant deficit in adaptive, cognitive, communication, social, emotional, and/or physical development which adversely affects educational performance.

TPS Developmental Delay Webpage

Emotional Disturbance

An emotional disturbance is characterized by one or more of the following characteristics, to a marked degree, over an extended period of time, which adversely affects educational performance.

1.  Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
2.  Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peer and teachers. 3.  Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
4.  Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
5.  A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

An evaluation of psychological/social/emotional/behavioral functioning conducted by qualified examiner(s) is required.

TPS Emotional Disturbance Webpage

Mental Retardation

These students exhibit significantly below average general intellectual functioning, along with deficits in adaptive behavior, which are evident during the developmental period.  These deficits in functioning are not a result of environmental or sociocultural factors and reflect consideration of the physical health of the child which may impact functioning.  The team may identify degrees of mental retardation as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

Multiple Disabilities

An impairment accompanied by one or more other impairments (such as blindness-mental retardation), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs designed solely for one of the impairments.  Does not include deaf-blindness.  Medical information from a licensed physician providing relevant medical findings, specific syndromes, health problems, or any information deemed necessary for planning the child's educational program is required.

TPS Multiple Disabilities Webpage

Orthopedic Impairment

A severe orthopedic impairment - includes congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g. poliomyelitis), and impairments from other causes (e.g. cerebral palsy), that adversely affects a child's educational performance.  Medical information from a licensed physician providing relevant medical findings of orthopedic conditions and any information necessary for planning the child's educational program is required.  An evaluation of motor functioning by a licensed physical therapist and/or occupational therapist must also be included.

TPS OT/PT Webpage

Other Health Impaired

Limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health conditions which adversely affects educational performance.  May be due to health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, or other chronic or acute health conditions.  Requires medical information from a licensed physician, providing relevant medical findings, specific syndrome, health problems, medication, and any information deemed necessary for planning the child's educational program.

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, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.  May include conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.  Does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.  Lack of instruction in math or reading, and/or limited English proficiency must be ruled out as the determining factor of the disability.

TPS Learning Disabilities Webpage

Speech-Language Impaired

A communication, language, or voice impairment that adversely affects educational performance.  Evaluation of speech skills may include articulation (speech sound production), voice quality, fluency (stuttering), and oral-motor skills.  Language skills may involve receptive and expressive language, including vocabulary (semantics), sentence structure and word endings (phonology, morphology, syntax), and use of social language skills (pragmatics).
  
TPS Speech-Language Web Page

Traumatic Brain Injury

An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting 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 resulting 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 to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.  Medical information from a licensed physician should be obtained regarding relevant medical and neurological findings and any information pertinent to planning the child's educational program.

Visual Impairment

Visual impairment, including blindness and partial sight, involves an impairment in vision that, even with best possible correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.  An ophthalmologist's, optometrist's, or physician's report stating the diagnosis and description of the child's visual problems is required.

TPS Visual Impairment Webpage