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In most public schools' general education classes, there are several students that have been identified as requiring special education services. Though the majority of these students will have high incidence disabilities, there are students with low incidence disabilities as well. Students with low incidence disabilities provide unique challenges for educators to meet their needs. There are students enrolled in special education services that are identified as having low incidence disabilities. These categories as described by the Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 1997) are hearing impairments, visual impairments, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury and multiple disabilities. The prevalence of school-age students in the United States who have low incidence disabilities were (1999-2000):
The author's intent in this chapter is to give teachers a brief overview of the low incidence exceptionalities they may encounter in their classroom. It will also supply links for more information as well as strategies and methods to teach students who may not always learn through traditional education. Though at first glance students with exceptionalities may seem difficult to educate, these children have more in common with typical students (who are themselves quite diverse) than they are different. With training and practice, general and special education teachers can learn to successfully educate students with low incidence exceptionalities.
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