Disability Condition Eligibility Definitions

A student with autism is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for autism as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(1). A determination of whether a student meets the criteria for autism as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(1) cannot require that the student meets the requirements for a medical/psychological diagnosis of autism. The absence of other characteristics often associated with autism listed in 34 CFR, 300.8(c)(1) does not exclude a student from meeting eligibility as a student with autism. The team's written report of evaluation must include specific recommendations for communication, social interaction, and positive behavioral interventions and strategies. 

A student with deaf-blindness is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for deaf-blindness as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(2). In meeting the criteria stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(2), a student with deaf-blindness is one who, based on the evaluations specified in subsection (c)(3) and (12) of this section:

• (A) meets the eligibility criteria for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing specified in subsection (c)(3) of this section and visual impairment specified in subsection (c)(12) of this section;

• (B) meets the eligibility criteria for a student with a visual impairment and has a suspected hearing loss that cannot be demonstrated conclusively, but a speech/language therapist, a certified speech and language therapist, or a licensed speech language pathologist indicates there is no speech at an age when speech would normally be expected;

• (C) has documented hearing and visual losses that, if considered individually, may not meet the requirements for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing or for visual impairment, but the combination of such losses adversely affects the student's educational performance; or

• (D) has a documented medical diagnosis of a progressive medical condition that will result in concomitant hearing and visual losses that, without the provision of special education services, will adversely affect the student's educational performance.

• (A) A student who is deaf or hard of hearing is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for deafness as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(3), or for students who have a hearing impairment as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(5). The evaluation data reviewed by the multidisciplinary team in connection with the determination of a student's eligibility based on being deaf or hard of hearing must include an audiological evaluation performed by a licensed audiologist and a communication assessment completed by the multidisciplinary team. The evaluation data must include a description of the implications of the hearing loss for the student's hearing in a variety of circumstances with or without recommended hearing assistive technology.

• (B) A child under three years of age meets the criteria for deaf or hard of hearing if the student's record indicates that the child is experiencing a developmental delay because of hearing loss or impairment, or the child has a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay and a sensory impairment, in accordance with 34 CFR, §303.21.

A student with an emotional disability is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for emotional disturbance as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(4). The written report of evaluation must include specific recommendations for positive behavioral supports and interventions. The term emotional disability is synonymous with the term emotional disturbance and serious emotional disturbance, as these terms are used in federal or state law pertaining to students eligible for special education and related services.

A student with an intellectual disability is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for an intellectual disability as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(6). In meeting the criteria stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(6), a student with an intellectual disability is one who:

• (A) has been determined to have significantly sub-average intellectual functioning as measured by a standardized, individually administered test of cognitive ability in which the overall test score is at least two standard deviations below the mean, when taking into consideration the standard error of measurement of the test; and

• (B) concurrently exhibits deficits in at least two of the following areas of adaptive behavior: communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction, functional academic skills, work, leisure, health, and safety.

• (A) A student with multiple disabilities is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for multiple disabilities as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(7). In meeting the criteria stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(7), that a combination of impairments causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments, a student with multiple disabilities is one who has a combination of disabilities defined in this section and who meets all of the following conditions: 

  • (I) the student's disabilities are expected to continue indefinitely; and 

  • (ii) the disabilities severely impair performance in two or more of the following areas: 

    • (I) psychomotor skills; 

    • (II) self-care skills;

    • (III) communication;

    • (IV) social and emotional development; or

    • (V) cognition.

• (B) Students who have more than one of the disabilities defined in this section but who do not meet the criteria in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph must not be classified or reported as having multiple disabilities. 

• (C) Multiple disabilities does not include deaf-blindness.

A student with an orthopedic impairment is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for orthopedic impairment as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(8). A student's eligibility based on an orthopedic impairment must include a medical diagnosis provided by a licensed physician.

A student with other health impairment is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for other health impairment due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette's Disorder as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(9). A student's eligibility based on other health impairment must include identification or confirmation of the student’s chronic or acute health problem provided by a licensed physician, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse with authority delegated under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 157.

• (A) Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; intellectual disability; emotional disability; or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage
• (B) A student with a specific learning disability is one who:
  • (I) has been determined through a variety of assessment tools and strategies to meet the criteria for a specific learning disability as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(10), in accordance with the provisions in 34 CFR, §§300.307-300.311;
  • (ii) when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the student's age or state-approved grade-level standards as indicated by performance on multiple measures such as in-class tests, grade average over time (e.g. six weeks or semester), repeated performance on progress monitoring measures, norm- or criterion-referenced tests, and statewide assessments, does not achieve adequately for the student's age or to meet state-approved grade-level standards in one or more of the following areas:
    • (I) oral expression;
    • (II) listening comprehension;
    • (III) written expression, which may include dysgraphia ;
    • (IV) basic reading skill, which may include dyslexia ;
    • (V) reading fluency skills, which may include dyslexia ;
    • (VI) reading comprehension;
    • (VII) mathematics calculation; or
    • (VIII) mathematics problem solving;
  • (iii) meets one of the following criteria:
    • (I) does not make sufficient progress to meet age or state-approved grade-level standards in one or more of the areas identified in clause (ii)(I)-(VIII) of this subparagraph when using a process based on the student's response to scientific, research-based intervention; or
    • (II) exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance, achievement, or both relative to age, state-approved grade-level standards, or intellectual development that is determined to be relevant to the identification of a specific learning disability, using appropriate assessments, consistent with 34 CFR, §300.304 and §300.305; and
  • (iv) does not meet the findings under clauses (ii) and (iii) of this subparagraph primarily as the result of
    • (I)a visual, hearing, or motor disability;
    • (II) an intellectual disability;
    • (III) emotional disability;
    • (IV) cultural factors;
    • (V) environmental or economic disadvantage; or
    • (VI) being emergent bilingual.
• (C) As part of the evaluation described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph and 34 CFR, §§300.304-300.311, the presence of a significant variance among specific areas of cognitive function or between specific areas of cognitive function and academic achievement is not required when determining whether a student has a significant learning disability.
• (D) In order to ensure that underachievement by a student suspected of having a specific learning disability is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading or mathematics, the following must be considered:
  • (i) data that demonstrates the student was provided appropriate instruction in reading (as described in 20 United States Code (USC), §6368(3)), and/or mathematics within general education settings delivered by qualified personnel; and
  • (ii) data-based documentation of repeated assessments of achievement at reasonable intervals, reflecting formal evaluation of student progress during instruction, which must be provided to the student's parents. Data-based documentation of repeated assessments may include, but is not limited to, intervention progress monitoring results and reports , in-class tests on grade-level curriculum, or other regularly administered assessments. Intervals are considered reasonable if consistent with the assessment requirements of a student's specific instructional program.
• (E) The school district must ensure that the student is observed in the student's learning environment, including the general education classroom setting, to document the student's academic performance and behavior in the areas of difficulty. In determining whether a student has a specific learning disability, the multidisciplinary team must decide to either use information from an observation in routine classroom instruction and monitoring of the student's performance that was conducted before the student was referred for an evaluation or have at least one of the members described in subsection (b) or (c)(9)(F) of this section conduct an observation of the student's academic performance in the general education classroom after the student has been referred for an evaluation and the school district has obtained parental consent consistent with 34 CFR, §300.300(a). In the case of a student of less than school age or out of school, a member described in subsection (b) or (c)(9)(F) of this section must observe the student in an environment appropriate for a student of that age.
• (F) The determination of whether a student suspected of having a specific learning disability is a child with a disability as defined in 34 CFR, §300.8, must be made by the student's parents and a team of qualified professionals, which must include at least one person qualified to conduct individual diagnostic examinations of children such as a licensed specialist in school psychology /school psychologist , an educational diagnostician, a speech-language pathologist, or a remedial reading teacher and one of the following:
  • (i) the student's general education teacher;
  • (ii) if the student does not have a general education teacher, a general education classroom teacher qualified to teach a student of his or her age; or
  • (iii) for a student of less than school age, an individual qualified by the Texas Education Agency to teach a student of his or her age.
• (G) Suspicion, and the identification, of dyslexia or dysgraphia, in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs (A)-(F) of this paragraph, must include consideration of the following:
  • (i) when the specific learning disability of dyslexia is suspected, or characteristics of dyslexia have been observed from a reading instrument administered under TEC, §28.006 or a dyslexia screener under TEC, §38.003, the team established under subsections (b) and (c)(9)(F) of this section must include a professional who meets the requirements under TEC, §29.0031(b), and §74.28 of this title (relating to Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders), including any handbook adopted in the rule ;
  • (ii) an evaluation for dyslexia or dysgraphia must include all of the domains or other requirements listed in TEC, §38.003, and §74.28 of this title, including any handbook adopted in the rule;
  • (iii) when identifying dyslexia and determining eligibility or continued eligibility for special education and related services, the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee must include a professional who meets the requirements of TEC, §29.0031(b), and §74.28 of this title, including any handbook adopted in the rule; and
  • (iv) when a student is identified with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, the terms dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, as appropriate must be used in a student's evaluation report. For formal eligibility purposes under special education, the category of specific learning disability will be reported by a school district.
     

A student with a traumatic brain injury is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for traumatic brain injury as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(12). A student's eligibility based on a traumatic brain injury must include a medical diagnosis provided by a licensed physician.

• (A) A student with a visual impairment is one who has been determined to meet the criteria for visual impairment as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(13). Information from a variety of sources must be considered by the multidisciplinary team that collects or reviews evaluation data in connection with the determination of a student's eligibility based on visual impairment in order to determine the need for specially designed instruction as stated in 34 CFR, §300.39(b)(3), and must include:
  • (i) a medical report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist that indicates the visual loss stated in exact measures of visual field and corrected visual acuity, at a distance and at near range, in each eye. If exact measures cannot be obtained, the eye specialist must so state and provide best estimates. The report should also include a diagnosis and prognosis whenever possible and whether the student has
    • (I) no vision or visual loss after correction; or
    • (II) a progressive medical condition that will result in no vision or a visual loss after correction;
  • (ii) a functional vision evaluation by a certified teacher of students with visual impairments or a certified orientation and mobility specialist. The evaluation must include the performance of tasks in a variety of environments requiring the use of both near and distance vision and recommendations concerning the need for a clinical low vision evaluation;
  • (iii) a learning media assessment by a certified teacher of students with visual impairments. The learning media assessment must include recommendations concerning which specific visual, tactual, and/or auditory learning media are appropriate for the student and whether or not there is a need for ongoing evaluation in this area; and
  • (iv) as part of the full individual and initial evaluation, an orientation and mobility evaluation conducted by a person who is appropriately certified as an orientation and mobility specialist. The orientation and mobility evaluation must be conducted in a variety of lighting conditions and in a variety of settings, including in the student's home, school, and community, and in settings unfamiliar to the student.
• (B) A person who is appropriately certified as an orientation and mobility specialist must participate in an initial eligibility determination and any reevaluation as part of the multidisciplinary team, in accordance with 34 CFR, §§300.122 and 300.303-300.311, in evaluating data used to make the determination of the student's need for specially designed instruction.
• (C) A child under three years of age meets the criteria for visual impairment if the child’s record indicates that the child is experiencing a developmental delay because of vision loss or impairment, or the child has a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay and a sensory impairment, in accordance with 34 CFR, §303.21.
   

A student with developmental delay is one who is between the ages of 3-9 who is evaluated by a multidisciplinary team for at least one disability category listed in paragraphs (1)-(12) of this subsection and whose evaluation data indicates a need for special education and related services and shows evidence of, but does not clearly confirm, the presence of the suspected disability or disabilities due to the child's young age. In these cases, an ARD committee may determine that data supports identification of developmental delay in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development. To use this eligibility category, multiple sources of data must converge to indicate the student has a developmental delay as described by one of the following

• (A) performance on appropriate norm-referenced measures, including developmental measures, indicate that the student is at least 2 standard deviations below the mean or at the 2nd percentile of performance, when taking into account the standard error of measurement (SEM), in one area of development as listed in this paragraph, along with additional convergent evidence such as interviews and observation data that supports the delay in that area;
• (B) performance on appropriate norm-referenced measures, including developmental measures, indicate that the student is at least 1.5 standard deviations below the mean or at the 7th percentile of performance, when taking into account the SEM, in at least two areas of development as listed in this paragraph, along with additional convergent evidence such as interviews and observation data that supports the delays in those areas; or
• (C) a body of evidence from multiple direct and indirect sources, such as play-based assessments, information from the student's parent, interviews, observations, work samples, checklists, and other informal and formal measures of development, that clearly document a history and pattern of atypical development that is significantly impeding the student's performance and progress across settings when compared to age-appropriate expectations and developmental milestones in one or more areas of development as listed in this paragraph.
  NOTE: Developmental delay eligibility guidelines. Developmental delay, as described in subsection (c)(13) of this section, and noncategorical, as described in subsection (c)(14) of this section, may be used within the following guidelines.
  • (1) No school district will be required to use the eligibility category of developmental delay; however, if a district chooses to use this eligibility category, it must use the definition and criteria described in subsection (c)(13) of this section.
  • (2) If a school district chooses to use the eligibility category described in subsection (c)(13) of this section, it may do so beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
     

A student between the ages of 3-5 who is evaluated as having an intellectual disability, an emotional disability, a specific learning disability, or autism may be described as noncategorical early childhood.

NOTE: The eligibility category of noncategorical early childhood, as described in subsection (c)(14) of this section, must no longer be used by any school district beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Any eligible student who begins the 2025-2026 school year already identified under subsection (c)(14) of this section may maintain this eligibility category, if determined appropriate by the student's ARD committee, until the required re-evaluation before the age of six.