Under IDEA, states are responsible for meeting the special needs of eligible children.
To receive special education services, under IDEA Part B:
- children and youth must be between the ages of 3–21;
- must have a disability, as defined by IDEA; and
- the disability must adversely impact the child’s educational performance.
To find out if a child is eligible for services, he or she must first receive a full and individual initial evaluation.
What if my child has a medical condition not specified by IDEA?
According to the Missouri state plan “If a child has a medical condition, diagnosed by other professionals such as physicians, psychologists, etc. that are not specified by IDEA, These may include such conditions as Tourette syndrome, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, etc. Students who present significant learning problems by virtue of the condition may demonstrate eligibility for special education under one or more of the disabilities identified (in IDEA).”
Who is not eligible for services?
A child is not eligible for services if:
- he or she does not meet the criteria listed above; or
- poor academic performance is due to a lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including the essential components of reading instruction a or lack of appropriate instruction in math or limited English proficiency.
Resource Downloads
Disability Evaluation Resources
Missouri Disability Criteria
- Missouri Autism Disability Criteria [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Emotional Disturbance Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Hearing Impairment Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Intellectual Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Multiple Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Orthopedic Impairment [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Other Health Impairment Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Specific Learning Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Speech or Language Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Traumatic Brain Injury Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Visual Impairment Blindness Disability [ENGLISH]
- Missouri Criteria for Young Child with Developmental Disability [ENGLISH]