IDEA enhanced the lives of students with severe and multiple disabilities by providing early intervention beginning at birth or whenever a disability is diagnosed or suspected. IDEA also includes services such as occupational, physical and speech/language therapy, services and plans to assist the individual with the transition from school to work and adult life and education in the least-restrictive environment. This means inclusion in the general education classroom with nondisabled peers or the proper reasons and justification if this is not an option.
Autism is generally evident by age 3. The developmental disability significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interactions with others. Children with autism are resistant to changes in their environment and routine, they engage in repetitive activities and movements and have unusual responses to sensory experiences. Visual and hearing impairments fall under the categories of deaf-blindness, deafness, hearing impairment or visual impairment. These impairments can be permanent or fluctuating, making it difficult to process information due to the deficit. Speech and language impairment is a voice, language, articulation or stuttering that negatively affects a child's academic success.
Developmental delays for children from birth to age 9 include delays in physical, cognitive, social, emotional or behavioral development or profound delays in communication. Emotional disturbance affects the child's educational performance by an inability to learn that is not associated with intellectual, sensory or health factors. The child may display a pervasive depression or unhappiness; the inability to build or monitor relationships; and have inappropriate behavior, feelings, physical symptoms or fears under normal situations. Schizophrenia falls into this category. Intellectual disabilities refers to mental retardation. Rosa's Law was signed in by President Obama in October 2010, changing the term for mental retardation. A child may be eligible for special education or other services when he acquires an injury to the brain by an external force that causes total or partial psycho-social impairments or functional disabilities.
Multiple disabilities are impairments that occur in combination, such as intellectual disability and blindness. The combination generally causes a severe lapse in academic progress and multiple special education accommodations are needed. Other health impairments have a negative impact on a student's education performance. Acute and chronic health problems--such as ADHD, lead poisoning, diabetes and Tourette syndrome--may limit strength and vitality or cause heightened alertness to stimuli in the environment and decreased alertness to the education environment.