A person with a physical disability lacks mobility or control over certain parts of their body because of a muscular or skeletal system disorder or a disability occurring as a result of an injury or disease. Physical disabilities may be caused by the loss of body parts, paralysis, joint, muscle or bone disease, neuro-muscular limitations, tetraplegia/paralaplegias, polio, spina bifida, stroke or head injury.
Every child with a disability must have an education plan for their specific needs called an Individualized Education Program (IEP) if they are attending a public school. Parents, school administrators and support workers and the students, when appropriate, work together with the goal of providing quality individualized education for the student. After the student is evaluated and considered eligible, a meeting is held with the parents and all related personnel to draw up a written plan that is periodically reviewed and revised if necessary.
Special education schools have staff who are trained in teaching and providing for the specific educational needs of physically disabled children. These teachers also know how to use special assistive technology that can help the students participate fully in the learning process. For example, a 10-year-old child with cerebral palsy is able to participate in a special adaptive physical education program and receive informal occupational and physical therapy. It is more efficient for parents and teachers when physically disabled students receive therapy and medical services in one location.
Public school exposes disabled children to nondisabled students and provides a more "normalized" social and academic educational experience. Nondisabled children have the opportunity to increase their awareness of people with disabilities and develop friendships with them. Special education schools isolate students with disabilities from mainstream public school life.
Some parents choose to start with a special education school and then gradually move them into a public school setting. They might put their child for a half day in a special school and half day in a public school, then chose to move them completely into a mainstream facility later on.