Learning Disabilities
A child with a learning disabil- ity has difficulty in learning that involves understand- ing or using spoken or written language, and the difficulty can appear in listening, thinking, reading, writing, and spelling.
Dyslexia: A severe impairment in the ability to read and spell.
Dysgraphia: A learning disability that involves difficulty in handwriting.
Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
A disability in which children consistently show one or more of the following characteristics over a period of time: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Dyscalculia: Also known as developmental arith- metic disorder, this learning disability involves diffi- culty in math computation.
Mental Retardation: A condition with an onset before age 18 that involves low intelligence and difficulty in adapting to every- day life.
Cerebral Palsy: A disorder that involves a lack of muscle coordination, shaking, or unclear speech.
Down Syndrome: A genetically transmitted form of mental retardation due to an extra (47th) chromosome.
Epilepsy: A neurological disorder characterized by recurring sensorimotor attacks or movement convulsions.
Orthopedic Impairments Restricted movements or lack of control of movements, due to muscle, bone, or joint problems.
Speech and Language Disorders: A number of speech problems and language problems.
Specific Language Impairment: (SLI) Involves problems in language development that are not accompanied by other obvious physical, sensory, or emotional problems.
Articulation Disorders: Problems in pronouncing sounds correctly.
Voice Disorders: Disorders producing speech that is hoarse, harsh, too loud, too high-pitched, or too low-pitched.
Fluency Disorders: Disorders that often involve what is commonly referred to as “stuttering.”
Language Disorders: Significant impairments in receptive or expressive language.
Receptive Language: The reception and understanding of language.
Expressive Language: The ability to use language to express one’s thoughts and communicate with others.
Autistic Disorder: A severe autism spectrum disor- der (ASD) that has its onset in the first three years of life and includes deficiencies in social relationships, abnormalities in communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Also called pervasive developmental disorders, they range from the severe disorder labeled autistic disorder to the milder disorder called Asperger syndrome. Children with these disorders are characterized by problems in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communi- cation, and repetitive behaviors.
Asperger Syndrome: A relatively mild autism spec- trum disorder (ASD) in which there is relatively good verbal language, mild nonverbal language problems, a restricted range of interests and rela- tionships, and frequent repetitive routines.
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Serious, persistent problems that involve relationships, aggression, depression, fears associated with per- sonal or school matters, and other inappropriate socioemotional characteristics.
Children who are gifted: Children with above- average intelligence (usually defined as an IQ of 130 or higher) and/or superior talent in some domain such as art, music, or mathematics.