The team must make a determination regarding eligibility categories by using the convergence of data from multiple sources to document that the student displays the characteristics of the selected disability(ies). Use the information below to develop the final rationale for each disability selected.

For more information, you may also reference the state special education rules for eligibility categories.

Sp Ed Rules - Eligibility

Autism:

● Required - Delay, arrests or inconsistencies in developmental rates and sequences in motor, sensory, social cognitive or communication skills

● Required - Difficulties in social interaction and participation

● Required - Deficit in the use of verbal/nonverbal language, especially for social communication.

● Unconventional, unusual or repetitive responses to sensory stimuli

● Unusual repertoire of activities and interests

Deafblind:

The student has a Hearing impairment and Visual impairment that cause severe communication and educational needs that cannot be accommodated in programs solely for student with deafness or blindness.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing:

Either #1 or #2 below must be documented. # 3 must also be documented for all.

1. Absence of measurable hearing such that primary sensory input for communication is other than auditory or

2. Absence of enough measurable hearing that the ability to communicate is adversely affected but student usually relies on auditory channel for sensory input for communication.

3. Adverse impact on education documented.

Emotional Behavior Disorder:

Duration, frequency and intensity of at least one of the following must be documented by progress monitoring and through observation over a period of time resulting in a need for specialized instruction.

1. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships.

2. An inability to learn that is not explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

3. Consistent or chronic inappropriate behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

4. Displayed pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

5. Displayed tendency to develop physical symptoms, pains, or unreasonable fears associated with personal or school problems.

Mild Intellectual Disability:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Intellectual functioning based on multiple sources of information documenting sub average intellectual functioning (55-70).

2. Significant limitations in student's effectiveness in meeting standards of maturation, learning, personal, independence or social responsibility.

3. Adaptive behavior in school and home that is at least two standard deviations below the mean in one of three areas: conceptual, social or practical OR composite score that is two standard deviations below the mean.

4. Deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior existed prior to age 18.

5. A written summary of a structured observation reflects an inability to progress in a typical age manner with consideration of culturally relevant information, medical history, and educational history.

Moderate Intellectual Disability:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Intellectual functioning based on multiple sources of information documenting sub average intellectual functioning (40-55).

2. Significant limitations in student's effectiveness in meeting standards of maturation, learning, personal, independence or social responsibility.

3. Adaptive behavior in school and home that is at least two standard deviations below the mean in one of three areas: conceptual, social or practical OR composite score that is two standard deviations below the mean.

4. Deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior existed prior to age 18.

5. A written summary of a structured observation reflects an inability to progress in a typical age manner with consideration of culturally relevant information, medical history, and educational history.

Severe Intellectual Disability:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Intellectual functioning based on multiple sources of information documenting sub average intellectual functioning (25-40).

2. Significant limitations in student's effectiveness in meeting standards of maturation, learning, personal, independence or social responsibility.

3. Adaptive behavior in school and home that is at least two standard deviations below the mean in one of three areas: conceptual, social or practical OR composite score that is two standard deviations below the mean.

4. Deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior existed prior to age 18.

5. A written summary of a structured observation reflects an inability to progress in a typical age manner with consideration of culturally relevant information, medical history, and educational history.

Profound Intellectual Disability:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Intellectual functioning based on multiple sources of information documenting sub average intellectual functioning (<25).

2. Significant limitations in student's effectiveness in meeting standards of maturation, learning, personal, independence or social responsibility.

3. Adaptive behavior in school and home that is at least two standard deviations below the mean in one of three areas: conceptual, social or practical OR composite score that is two standard deviations below the mean.

4. Deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior existed prior to age 18.

5. A written summary of a structured observation reflects an inability to progress in a typical age manner with consideration of culturally relevant information, medical history, and educational history.

Orthopedic Impairment:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Medical report indicating the diagnosis and prognosis of the student's orthopedic impairment, along with information as applicable regarding medications, surgeries, special health care procedures and special diet or activity restrictions.

2. Deficits in one or more of the following:

    • academic functioning
    • emotional development
    • adaptive behavior
    • motor
    • communication skills.

Other Health Impaired:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Chronic or acute health problems documented with medical report that indicates limits in strength, vitality, or alertness.

2. The health problem has adversely affected the student's educational performance in one or more of the following areas

    • preacademic or academic functioning
    • Adaptive behavior
    • social/emotional development
    • motor
    • communication skills

Significant Developmental Delay:

Evidence must be documented for one of the following:

1. A student that is 2 standard deviations below the mean in one or more of the areas below (Identify the areas):

    • Adaptive behavior
    • cognition
    • communication
    • motor skills
    • emotional development

2. A student that is 1.5 standard deviations below the mean in at least two of the same areas (Identify the areas):

    • Adaptive behavior
    • cognition
    • communication
    • motor skills
    • emotional development

Specific Learning Disability:

Evidence must be documented for each of the following:

1. Primary deficit in basic psychological processes identified (identify the processing deficit)

2. Under achievement in one or more of the following areas (Identify the areas):

  • Oral expression
  • Listening comprehension
  • Written expression
  • Basic Reading skills
  • Reading comprehension
  • Reading fluency
  • Mathematical calculation
  • Mathematical problem solving

3. Supplementary instruction has been provided that uses scientific, research or evidence-based interventions selected to correct or reduce the problem(s) the student is having and was in the identified  areas of concern; such instruction has been implemented as designed for the period of time indicated by the instructional strategy(ies). (If the instructional strategies do not indicate a period of time the strategies should be implemented, the instructional strategies shall be implemented for a minimum of 12 weeks to show the instructional strategies' effect or lack of effect) Data collected on at least 4 dates demonstrates a lack of sufficient progress to meet age or State-approved grade-level standards within a reasonable time frame. Verify that this is documented in the appropriate section of the eligibility report.

4. This under achievement is documented through all of the following:

  • Assessments of grade level performance
  • Information from the teacher related to academic performance and behavior
  • Current analyzed work samples in each area of deficit indicating below level performance as compared to peers
  • Observation of classroom academic performance

Speech/Language Impairment:

1. Educational performance is adversely affected by an impairment in the area(s) of - select at least one of the following:

  • articulation - An atypical production of speech sounds that interferes with intelligibility in conversational speech and obstructs learning or successful verbal communication in an educational setting
  • fluency - An interruption in the flow of speech characterized by an atypical rate or rhythm and/or repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, or phrases that significantly reduce the ability to participate within the learning environment
  • voice - Differences in pitch, quality, intensity, or resonance that significantly reduces the ability to communicate effectively and/or impacts performance in the educational environment
  • language - An impairment in comprehension and/or the use of spoken language in the areas of form, content, and/or use that negatively impacts the educational performance and/or the ability to participate in the learning environment

Traumatic Brain Injury:

1. Committee members have written documentation from a medical report or other sources that documents a traumatic brain injury has occurred.

2. The traumatic brain injury has impacted at least one of the following areas of functioning (identify the areas):

  • Cognitive - this includes areas such as memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem solving, speed of information processing, cognitive endurance, organization, receptive and expressive language and speed of language recall
  • Social/Behavioral - this includes areas such as awareness of self and others, interaction with others, response to social rules, emotional responses to everyday situations and adaptive behavior
  • Physical/Motor - this includes areas such as hearing and vision acuity, speech production, eye-hand coordination, mobility and physical endurance.

Visual Impairment:

1. Even with correction, a vision impairment that adversely affects a student's educational performance.