Opinion ID: 398788
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Severe Discrepancy Standard

Text: 7 The federal definition of when a learning disabled child is handicapped is crucial to this case. Under the EHA the term handicapped children means mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech impaired, visually handicapped, seriously emotionally disturbed, orthopedically impaired, or other health impaired children, or children with specific learning disabilities, who by reason thereof require special education and related services. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(1) (emphasis added). The term children with specific learning disabilities 8 means those children who have a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Such disorders include such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Such term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economical disadvantage. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(15). 9 In order to be treated as handicapped under the EHA, a learning disabled child must show a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas: (i) Oral expression; (ii) Listening comprehension; (iii) Written expression; (iv) Basic reading skill; (v) Reading comprehension; (vi) Mathematics calculation; (vii) Mathematics reasoning. 45 C.F.R. 121a.541(a)(2) (emphasis added). A child may not be identified as having a specific learning disability if the severe discrepancy between ability and achievement is primarily the result of (i) a visual, hearing or motor handicap; (ii) Mental retardation; (iii) Emotional disturbance; or (iv) Environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. 45 C.F.R. 121a.541(b). 10