Disability Categories
- Communication Disorders:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder:
- Specific Learning Disorder:
- Visual Impairment:
- Hearing Impairment:
- Deaf – Blind Disability:
- Physical Disability:
- Complex Disability:
Definition of Communication Disorders: Communication disorders include deficits in language, speech, and communication. Speech is the expressive product of sounds and includes pronunciation, fluency, sound, and echo quality. Language involves the form, function, and use of the traditional system of symbols (eg: spoken words, sign language, written words, pictures) in a manner governed by certain rules for communication. The diagnostic category of communication disorders includes the following: language disorders, speech and voice disorders, stuttering disorders in childhood, social communication disorder, and other specific and nonspecific communication disorders that appear during or after the developmental stage.
Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder: It is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and a type of developmental disability caused by a dysfunction in the central nervous system (the brain) characterized by a halt or deficiency in the development of sensory and language perception and thus the ability to communicate, converse, learn and social interaction.
Definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning and development.
Definition of specific learning difficulties: a disturbance in one or more of the basic psychological processes, including the understanding or use of language, whether oral or written, which appears in a lack of the ability to listen, think, read, write, spell, or perform arithmetic operations; and this includes cognitive disabilities, mild encephalopathy, and dyslexia.
Definition of visual impairment: a severe lack of vision that varies from cases of total blindness to cases of partial vision loss that cannot be treated through surgical operations or the use of glasses or contact lenses.
Definition of Hearing Disability: It is a complete or partial loss of the sense of hearing to the extent that it affects the individual’s ability to use the sense of hearing in communication or learning in a normal educational environment. This disability includes deafness and hearing impairment and therefore the individual may require special services for the development of language, speech and communication. Hearing impairment may be conductive, sensorineural, or mixed.
Definition of deaf-blind disability: it is accompanying or simultaneous hearing/ visual disability, which leads to deep communication needs and other developmental and educational needs, which cannot be provided through special education programs provided for the blind or the hearing-impaired on its' own and may require a mix of special educational programs to satisfy the individual's needs.
Definition of physical disability: a chronic neurological, muscular or skeletal disability that limits a person’s ability to use his/ her body normally and his/ her daily life activities are affected accordingly, especially school activities in the normal educational environment, and this disability may result from congenital malformations since birth, or certain diseases, or fractures, or amputations.
Definition of a complex disability: It includes the presence of two or more disabilities, provided that it does not include intellectual disability as one of those disabilities, and it differs from multiple disabilities whose diagnosis requires the presence of an intellectual disability in addition to another disability. As for a complex disability, it may include a combination of two disabilities (for example: physical disability combined with visual disability (together), or physical disability combined with hearing disability) etc... It is a classification that was not included in the unified national classification of disabilities in the United Arab Emirates, but was imposed by the nature of the disabilities that are registered to study at the university.
Source:
The Unified National Classification of Disabilities (People of Determination) in the state attached to Cabinet Resolution No. (3) of 2018 - United Arab Emirates.