This document outlines various disabilities and strategies to support students with those disabilities. It describes 13 categories of disabilities that students may have including specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, emotional disturbances, intellectual disabilities, autism, and others. For some common disabilities like ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and oppositional defiance, it provides brief definitions from the DSM-5 and strategies teachers can use to help students such as using visual schedules, reinforcement, prompting, and de-escalation techniques. Finally, it lists key strategies for running a successful classroom including establishing routines and procedures, using reinforcement, prompting, and redirections, keeping assignments short, allowing extra time, and maintaining consistency.

1. Disabilities

2. Eligibilities
1) Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
2) Speech or Language Impairment (SLI)
3) Emotional Disability/Disturbance (ED)
4) Intellectual Disability (ID)
5) Autism (AUT)
6) Multiple Disabilities (MD)
7) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
8) Other Health Impairment (OHI)
9) Deaf, Hard of Hearing (DHH)
10) Hearing Impairment (HI)
11) Visual Impairment (VI)
12) Deaf-Blind
13) Orthopedic Impairment (OI)

3. ADHD
What- Students with ADHD have a persistent pattern of inattention
and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or
development (DSM 5)
How we can help-
1. Avoid distractions
2. Close proximity
3. Allow breaks
4. Redirect back to task

4. Autism
What- Students with Autism have social challenges,
repetitive/restricted behaviors, trouble with their speech, and
nonverbal communication.
How we can help-
1. Reinforcement systems
2. Schedules/Routines
3. Visuals
4. Redirection back to task
5. Encourage playing and social interaction

5. Redirection

6. Learning Disabilities
What- Neurodevelopmental Disorder that impedes the ability to learn
or use specific academic skills (e.g., reading, writing, or arithmetic),
which are the foundation for other academic learning (DSM 5).
How we can help-
1. Provide examples/models
2. Review previously learned material
3. Extended time/think time
4. Prompt fade
5. Help their self-esteem and provide verbal praise

7. Prompt Fade

8. Oppositional Defiance
What- A pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant
behavior, or vindictiveness (DSM 5)
How we can help-
1. Be patient
2. De-escalate the situation
3. Routines/schedules
4. Consistency
5. Utilize a trusted adult

9. De-escalation

10. 1. Schedules/procedures/expectations
2. Utilize reinforcement systems
3. Use “Most to Least” prompting
4. Use redirection and de-escalation techniques
5. Keep assignments short
6. Allow extended time/think time
7. Consistency
Successful Classrooms