IDEA Eligibility Categories

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