Students who are gifted have learning needs that go beyond what is traditionally offered in the regular classroom. The nature of their abilities, demonstrated or latent, requires differentiated learning experiences and opportunities for them to maximize their potential. Teachers need to develop the depth and quality of their students ‘experiences while adjusting the pace to meet individual needs. This can be accomplished by offering opportunities for students to:

Pursue topics of study in greater depth or to a greater level of cognitive challenge

Tackle a wider range of authentic and complex academic tasks that require doing real world work

Advance through activities at a faster pace

Develop a sense of self and the possibilities that the world has to offer

Definition

An intellectual disability is defined as significantly below average general intellectual and adaptive functioning manifested during the developmental period, with significant delays in academic skills. Developmental period refers to birth to eighteen (18) years of age.

Intellectual Disabilities

          http://www.fldoe.org/ese/ind.asp

Definition

A specific learning disability is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest in significant difficulties affecting the ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematics. Associated conditions may include, but are not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or developmental aphasia. A specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of a visual, hearing, motor, intellectual, or emotional/behavioral disability, limited English proficiency, or environmental, cultural, or economic factors.

This definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03018, F.A.C.

Students with Disabilities

          http://fldoe.org/ese/sld.asp

Definition

Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined to be a range of pervasive developmental disorders that adversely affects a student's functioning and results in the need for specially designed instruction and related services. Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by an uneven developmental profile and a pattern of qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication, and the presence of restricted repetitive, and/or stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. These characteristics may manifest in a variety of combinations and range from mild to severe. Autism Spectrum Disorder may include Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Asperger’s Disorder, or other related pervasive developmental disorders. The corresponding definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03023, F.A.C.

Autism Spectrum Disorder    (ASD)  http://www.fldoe.org/ese/asd.asp

Definition

A student who has dual-sensory impairments affecting both vision and hearing, the combination of which causes a serious impairment in the abilities to acquire information, communicate, or function within the environment, or who has a degenerative condition which will lead to such an impairment.

Definition

Language impairments are disorders of language that interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or functioning in the student’s typical learning environment, and result in the need for exceptional student education. A Language impairment is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language. These include:

Phonology – Phonology is defined as the sound systems of a language and the linguistic conventions of a language that guide the sound selection and sound combinations used to convey meaning;

Morphology – Morphology is defined as the system that governs the internal structure of words and the construction of word forms;

Syntax – Syntax is defined as the system governing the order and combination of words to form sentences, and the relationships among the elements within a sentence;

Semantics – Semantics is defined as the system that governs the meanings of words and sentences; and

Pragmatics – Pragmatics is defined as the system that combines language components in functional and socially appropriate communication.

The language impairment may manifest in significant difficulties affecting listening comprehension, oral expression, social interaction, reading, writing, or spelling. A language impairment is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency.

This definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.030121, F.A.C.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/li.asp

Definition

Students who are visually impaired include students who are blind, have no vision, or have little potential for using vision or students who have low vision. The term visual impairment does not include students who have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual perceptual and/or visual motor difficulties.

The corresponding definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03014, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/vi.asp

Definition

A student with an emotional/behavioral disability has persistent (is not sufficiently responsive to implemented evidence based interventions) and consistent emotional or behavioral responses that adversely affect performance in the educational environment that cannot be attributed to age, culture, gender, or ethnicity.

The corresponding definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03016, F.A.C.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/ebd.asp

Definition

Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems. This includes, but is not limited to, asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and acquired brain injury. This definition is found in State Board of Education Rule, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).

Definition

Orthopedic impairment means a severe skeletal, muscular, or neuromuscular impairment. The term includes impairments resulting from congenital anomalies (e.g. including but not limited to skeletal deformity or spina bifida), and impairments resulting from other causes (e.g., including but not limited to cerebral palsy or amputations). This definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.030151, F.A.C.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/oi.asp

Definition

A traumatic brain injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects educational performance. The term applies to mild, moderate, or severe, open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one (1) or more areas such as cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing, or speech. The term includes anoxia due to trauma. The term does not include brain injuries that are congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma.

This definition is found in State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.030153, F.A.C.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/tbi.asp