A child with a disability is one who is evaluated and determined to be eligible for special education services for intellectual disabilities, a hearing impairment including deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment including blindness, emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairment, a specific learning disability, or deaf-blindness (Georgia Department of Education).

Special education is specially designed instruction provided at no cost to parents that meets the unique needs of each student who is identified with a disability. Related services are services such as transportation and developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to fully benefit from special education.

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written document which is developed for each eligible student with a disability in accordance with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Click here for a sample IEP document.

The Georgia State Department of Education state rules pertaining to exceptional students delineates 14 specific special education categories of eligibility. For information on these disabilities, click here

• Autism
• Deaf-Blind
• Emotional & Behavioral Disorder
• Severe Emotional and Behavioral Disorder
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH)
• Mild Intellectual Disability
• Moderate, Severe, Profound Intellectual Disability
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Other Health Impairment
• Significant Developmental Delay
• Specific Learning Disability
• Speech-Language Impairment
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment & Blindness