Categories of Disabilities

   Many disabilities exist in humans. Some disabilities occur with a relatively high frequency and are known as high incidence disabilities because they are among the most common. Examples of high incidence disabilities include learning disabilities, communication (speech and language) disorders, emotional disturbance and mild intellectual disabilities.

   Another category of disabilities known as low incidence disabilities include low vision and blindness, deafness, deaf-blindness, and severe intellectual disabilities. Disabilities in this category have relatively low rate occurrence.

   It is important to note that while the rates of occurrence of some low-incidence categories have increased dramatically, some high incidence disabilities have remained relatively stable in the last few decades. For example, autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder has been observed to be on the increase since the mid-1990s. This has been attributed to improved identification procedures, however, this does not imply that autism has become an epidemic.

Reference:

Hallahan, D.P.., Kauffman, J.M., & Pullen, P.C. (2012). Exceptional learners: An introduction to special education. (Ed.12). Pearson.