10 Overview of Exceptionalities

IDEA §300.8 defines child with a disability, which we refer to as exceptionality(ies) in this resource. According to the law, the child is  evaluated as outlined in IDEA §§300.304 through 300.311 and determined to need special education and related services. Based on the evaluation, an eligibility determines the categorical label for the student. Each of these IDEA defined disability categories follow as individual chapters with information and resources to support learning about each area of exceptionality.

The subsequent chapters that follow in this section of the text are organized by IDEA disability categories. Each disability category is defined and chapters provide information and resources related to prevalence, causes and characteristics, eligibility determinations, and instructional strategies and supports. These resources are meant to provide a general overview of each disability category and are not exhaustive in nature.