The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lists 13 disability categories under which 3 through 21-year-olds may be eligible for special education services. For a child to be eligible for services, the disability must affect the child’s educational performance.
1. Specific learning disability (SLD) (examples: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia)
2. Other health impairment (example ADHD)
3. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
4. Emotional disturbance
5. Speech or language impairment
6. Visual impairment, including blindness
7. Deafness
8. Hearing impairment
9. Deaf-blindness
10. Orthopedic impairment
11. Intellectual disability
12. Traumatic brain injury
13. Multiple disabilities
You can find information on these disabilities on many websites. One we like is Understood.org. Here’s their page on disability categories.
(We include relevant resources but don’t endorse any particular organization or program.)