Welcome to Exceptionality
Though a variety of families across the United States are affected by disabilities, disabilities often hold various misconceptions and are often blended together into one misunderstood category. This can be especially problematic in school settings.
There are an array of different types of disabilities outlined in three groups by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: “Low-Incidence Disabilities,” “Medium-Incidence Disabilities,” and “High-Incidence Disabilities.” The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was originally released in 1975 to ensure that everyone with disabilities has the opportunity to receive proper education according to their needs.
In order to get proper education, a disability must be identified. The guidelines for each states’ definition of a guideline differs but IDEA outlines these thirteen different categories of disabilities: “Hearing Impairment, Deafness, Visual Impairment(Including Blindness), Deaf-Blindness, Orthopedic Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Disabilities, Autism, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, Emotional Disturbance, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment” as well as a category for other health impairments.
Identification
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How to get tested for a disability?
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Due to the wide variety of disabilities outlined by IDEA, certain disabilities may need a psychologist or a physician to be identified. The best way to get a specific disability diagnosed would be to make an appointment with your child’s doctor or pediatrician and ask them to point you towards a specialist in your area that would be able to provide proper documentation. For example, to be diagnosed with having visual impairments, you might ask for ophthalmologist recommendations. Once the ophthalmologist performs an evaluation, they will be able to fill out the proper documentation for your child’s visual impairment and this will help you obtain proper accommodations for your child.
For something like a mild learning disability, school districts offer free testing. Even if your child does not attend the school, public schools are required to offer free learning disability tests. This is a quick and cheap alternative compared with buying a private evaluation which can vary in price range based on the disability, who is necessary to perform the evaluation, and how far the evaluation may be.
Why?
I started this website inspired by my sister. My sister has cerebral palsy, a medical condition she was born with that results in her inability to use motor skills and speak. When it was time for my sister to attend high school, it was very difficult for my family to find the right school for her. I decided to start this website to help others in similar situations find the right place for someone they love that has a disability. I also wanted to clear misconceptions I often observed about children with disabilities which often resulted in all disabilities being combined into one group. Different disabilities require different types of attention and accommodations which is critical for each child gets the education they need.
Be exceptional.
Be exceptional.
