0.2 Part two: special topics  (Page 33/39)

Specific Learning Disorders means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in usinglanguage, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematicalcalculations, including such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmentalaphasia. (The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disabilities, of mentalretardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic differences.)

Categories - continued

Speech or Language Impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a languageimpairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Speech-Language Pathology Services encompass such activities as:

• Screening, diagnosis, and appraisal of specific speech and language impairments
• Identification of children with speech and/or language impairments
• Referral and follow-up for medical or other professional attention necessary for the habilitation of speech and language impairments
• Planning and developing interventions and programs for children or youth with speech and language impairments
• Provisions of services for the habilitation and prevention of speech and language impairments
• Counseling and guidance of parents, children, and teachers regarding speech and language impairments.

Traumatic Brain Injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partialfunctional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies toopen or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstractthinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; psychosocial functions; informationprocessing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Visual Impairment means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Recommended Reading:

Learning Disabilities Online : LDOnline provides the essentials on learning disabilities, along with a bulletin board so that teachers may contact eachother and exchange ideas. Particularly strong is the section called: "The ABCs of Learning Disabilities."

Council for Exceptional Children : CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes forindividuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. The site also includes an excellent discussion forum.