Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Commonly referred to as ADD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is largely considered a developmental disorder that affects 3-5% of the population. Scientific evidence suggests that the disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance or deficiency in certain neurotransmitters (chemicals that regulate the efficiency with which the brain transmits information). Although the disorder is most prevalent in children, ADHD can and does continue through the adult years. The majority of adults with ADHD have been described as experiencing symptoms very similar those experienced by children. They are often restless, easily distracted, stress intolerant, impulsive, and impatient. Students with ADHD might function better at certain times of the day, they might have a need to sit at the front of the class, they might experience difficulty following several directions at once. They may benefit from the structure provided by organizers, lists, and schedules.

Some services that are available for students with ADHD include extended time on tests, individual testing rooms, note-takers, and priority registration. [Printer friendly version]

Deafness and Hard of Hearing
Deafness generally refers to a physical condition manifested by a lack of sensitivity to sound. Legally, deafness is defined by levels of hearing loss whose severity is measured by the degree of loudness (or decibels) a sound must attain before it is heard by an individual. Mild deafness ranges from 10 dB to 30 dB, moderate deafness ranges from 30 dB to 60 dB, severe deafness ranges from 60 dB to 90 dB, and profound (or total) deafness ranges from 90 dB to 120 dB or more. Both severe and moderate deafness are commonly referred to as partial deafness, while mild deafness is usually referred to as hard of hearing.

Two common types of this impairment are sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. The former involves an impairment of the auditory nerve, and can be caused by the mumps, the measles, or meningitis. Sensorineural hearing loss may even be congenial. The latter is usually caused by damage or a dysfunction of the middle or outer ear system. Conductive deafness is the ear’s inability to efficient conduct sound waves.

Some services that are available for students with deafness or hard of hearing include assistive listening devices, captioned media, interpreters or transliterators, and note-takers. [Printer friendly version]

Blindness and Low Vision
Blindness is commonly referred to as a severe visual impairment with residual vision. Various terms have been developed to describe the disability, including legal blindness, low vision, and total blindness. In North America, legal blindness is defined as a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best correction possible. In other words, an individual who is legally blind would have to stand 20 feet from an object to see it with the same degree of clarity as an individual who has no vision loss could from 200 feet. Low vision is defined as a visual acuity ranging from 20/70 to 20/200. Total blindness is defined as the lack of light perception and form and is clinically recorded as “no light perception” or NLP.

Functional limitations vary from individual to individual and are unique in nature and intensity. Some common limitations include poor visual acuity, involuntary eye movement, intolerance to light or glare, eye fatigue, slow reading speed, difficulty walking in unfamiliar areas, and an inability to write legibly.

Some services that are available for students with blindness or low vision include Braille, electronic format materials, large print, scribes, and academic assistants. [Printer friendly version]

Orthopedic and Mobility Disabilities
A variety of orthopedic and mobility disabilities are the result of congenial conditions, accidents, or progressive neuromuscular diseases. These disabilities include cerebral palsy, a term that encompasses a wide range of non-progressive motor disorders; spinal cord injuries, which usually result in paralysis and sensory loss; progressive degenerative diseases, like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease; Post-Polio Syndrome; and other motor neuron diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Progressive Bulbar Palsy (PBP).

Individuals with orthopedic or mobility disabilities may have several functional limitations including lack of coordination, impairment of speech or hearing, decreased physical stamina and endurance, and limited head or neck movement. Some individuals have the ability to stand and walk, but may chose to use a wheelchair to conserve energy

Some services that are available for students with orthopedic or mobility disabilities include academic assistants, physical access, program accessibility, and priority registration. [Printer friendly version]

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorders include High Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. These conditions are thought to be neuro-biological and developmental disabilities affecting many aspects of functionality. Specific functional limitations are unique in nature and vary from person to person.

Some common limitations are difficulties with social reciprocity and friendships; social awkwardness; imaginative impairments and repetitive adherence, including concrete and literal uses of language, and a preference for routines; language impairments, including pronoun reversal, Echolalia, and late or no development of language; physical impairments, including fine or gross motor difficulties, and hyper- or hyposensitivity of the various senses; and learning impairments, including difficulty with organization, sequencing, distractibility, and slow processing.

Some services that are available for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders include extended time on tests, individual testing rooms, note-takers, academic visual supports, computer use, and priority registration. [Printer friendly version]

Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma causes brain damage. TBI, one of the two subsets of acquired brain injury (ABI), can result from a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. Non-traumatic brain injuries, like those suffered from a stroke, meningitis, or anoxia, make up the other subset of ABI.

Symptoms of a TBI vary from person to person, and can be mild, moderate, or severe in nature. Some symptoms of a mild TBI include headaches; trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking; a change in sleep patterns; or double vision. With moderate or severe TBI, the individual may exhibit some or all of the symptoms of mild TBI as well as psychological difficulties including depression, anger, or impaired social judgment; loss of coordination, seizures, and slurred speech.

Some services that are available for students with brain injuries include extended time on tests, individual testing rooms, note-takers, and priority registration. [Printer friendly version]

Psychological Disabilities
Psychological disabilities is an umbrella term for disabilities and disorders, some of which are mood disorders, like depression, bipolar I, and bipolar II; anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder; schizophrenia and delusional disorder; and various types of personality disorders, substance related disorders, and dissociative disorders.

Individuals with psychological disabilities may experience reduced concentration, distractibility, difficulties overcoming unexpected obstacles, difficulty coping with change, and problems interacting with others and appropriately responding to feedback.

Some services that are available for students with psychological disabilities include extended time on tests, note-takers, priority registration, and priority seating. [Printer friendly version]

Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities, commonly referred to as LD, are permanent neurological conditions that affect a person’s ability to receive, organize, express, and remember information. For many people with learning disabilities, the capacity for learning is intact, but the manner in which the learned information is processed is impaired.

Traditionally, the disability is demonstrated by a significant discrepancy between expected and actual performance in one or more of the following basic functions: memory, oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, and mathematical reasoning. The severity of learning disabilities varies from person to person and is often inconsistent within an individual. Some manifestations of learning disabilities include dyslexia, a neurological condition that hampers the ability to read or write proficiently; dyscalculia, a genetically-linked disability that impairs the learning or comprehending of mathematics; dysgraphia, which causes great difficulty in writing; dysphasia, an inability to speak with fluency or to understand others; figure-ground perception, auditory figure-ground perception, auditory sequencing, and visual discrimination.

Individuals with learning disabilities may be unable to organize and budget time effectively, may make frequent spelling errors, may be unable to effectively understand oral language, may have a slow reading rate, may have difficulty with basic math operations, or may experience special disorientation.

Some services that are available for students with learning disabilities include extended time on tests, individual testing rooms, note-takers, spelling aids, computer use, and priority registration. [Printer friendly version]