IDEA Eligibility Categories


Logo: The Parents' Place of Maryland
Source: The Parents' Place of Maryland
Publication Date: March 2025

As part of making special education and related services available to children with disabilities in public schools, Part B of IDEA defines the term “child with a disability.” There are 13 eligibility categories that a child can qualify for special education services. In order to qualify for these services, a child’s
educational performance must also be affected due to the disability.
Read this fact sheet to learn more about the 13 categories!

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