SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT HANDBOOK
Governor Wentworth Regional School District

Statement of Purpose

Clarification of Disability Categories

Special Education Programs in GWRSD

Parental Rights

General Definitions

Referral sources

Special Education Personnel in GWRSD

LINKS to Local and State Resources

Referral Process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clarification of Educational Disability Categories

 Developmental Delay: This term applies to a child between the age of 3 and 9 years who needs special education because of significant impairment in one or more of the following areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional or adaptive development. A child must also meet the requirements for identification under one of the other categories listed here.

 

Deafness: A hearing loss so severe that the child doesn't receive information through his/her hearing. This may or may not require a hearing aid (amplification) and will negatively affect a child's educational performance.

 

Deaf/Blindness: Problems of deafness and blindness at the same time which cause communication or other developmental and educational problems that require special education.

 

 

Hearing Impairment: A hearing loss, either consistent or fluctuating, which affects the child's educational performances negatively.

 

Mental Retardation: Significantly below average intelligence with difficulties in being able to change or adapt behaviors, as a situation requires. This problem shows up during a period of the child's life where it affects his/her educational performance.

 

Speech and/or Language Impairment: A communication disorder such as stuttering, speech sound errors, a voice problem, or difficulty in communicating through language which negatively affects a student's educational performance.

 

Visual Impairment: Blind or partially-sighted student whose vision problem negatively affects his/her educational performance.

 

Emotional Disturbance: A child who shows inappropriate behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances, general depression, excessive school fears or who can't develop normal relationships with classmates or teachers. In order for these conditions to be considered an emotional disability, they must be exhibited over a long period of time and to a marked degree and must negatively affect the child's educational performance.

 

Orthopedic Impairment: A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a student's educational performance.

 

Other Health Impairment: Includes medically diagnosed conditions such as ADD, ADHD, as well as limited strength or alertness due to chronic, acute health problems such as heart disease, TB, rheumatic fever, asthma, and epilepsy which negatively affects a student's educational performance.

 

 

Specific Learning Disability: A disability that prevents a child from learning academic skills in the usual way. LD may include difficulties in pre-reading skills, reading, writing, language, math, or perceptual skills. It does not include difficulties resulting from economic or cultural disadvantages or low ability.

 

Autism: Applies to a child with a developmental disability that significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction that is generally evident before age three and that adversely affects educational performance.

 

Traumatic Brain Injury: Applies to a child with brain injuries caused by an external physical force or by an internal occurrence such as stroke or aneurysm with resulting impairments that adversely affect educational performance.

 

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