IDEA Disability Categories
13 IDEA Categories • 51 Common Descriptor Terms
Understanding IDEA Eligibility
To qualify for an IEP under IDEA, a child must (1) have one of the 13 qualifying disability categories and (2) need specially designed instruction due to the educational impact of that disability. A medical diagnosis alone is not sufficient; the disability must adversely affect educational performance, which can include academic, behavioral, social, emotional, or functional areas.
If a child has a disability but does not require specialized instruction, they may be eligible for a 504 Plan, which provides accommodations to ensure equal access to education.
Important: "Educational Performance" Is Broader Than Grades
A child can be passing classes and still qualify for an IEP if the disability impacts how they access learning or make progress without specialized instruction.
Educational performance includes:
Special education isn't just academics. Specially designed instruction can include social skills instruction, behavioral support, executive functioning coaching, speech/language therapy, OT services, and explicit reading instruction.
What Schools Often Get Wrong
What actually matters: Whether the disability affects how the child accesses, participates in, or benefits from education without specially designed instruction.
Common District Pushback (And Why It's Wrong)
"Your child is passing classes, so they don't qualify."
Why that's wrong: IDEA does not limit "educational performance" to grades or test scores. Federal guidance and case law make clear that educational performance includes functional, behavioral, social, emotional, and executive-functioning skills. A student can pass classes and still require specially designed instruction to make meaningful progress.
"They're getting accommodations, so an IEP isn't needed."
Why that's wrong: Accommodations are not instruction. If a student needs explicit, systematic, or individualized instruction (not just extra time or preferential seating), that crosses into special education, which requires an IEP.
"This is a medical issue, not an educational one."
Why that's wrong: IDEA eligibility is not based on diagnosis, but schools also cannot ignore medical or clinical data. If the disability impacts the child's ability to access or benefit from education, it is an educational issue—regardless of where the diagnosis originated.
"We'll try RTI/MTSS first."
Why that's incomplete: RTI (Response to Intervention) and MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) are frameworks for providing tiered classroom support—but they cannot be used to delay or deny an IEP evaluation when a disability is suspected. RTI/MTSS data can inform eligibility, but it is not a gatekeeper. Parents have the right to request an evaluation at any time.
All 13 Disability Categories
Source: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.50 (School Year 2022-23)
Under IDEA, a child must fall within one of these 13 disability categories—and need special education—to qualify for an IEP.
IEP Advocate.ai helps parents translate evaluation language into IDEA categories so you know what it means and what to ask next.