Disability Classifications

The Social Security Administration defines a disability as the inability to work or adjust due to a medical or psychological condition that is expected to last more than one year. The American Psychological Association defines disability as the inability to function in a job or at home, or the loss of social interactions. The two primary categories of disability, physical and mental, contain other classifications.

Development

• The developmentally disabled person has some form of neurological impairment originating from birth or a childhood trauma that interferes with learning social skills and self-care, and meeting educational goals. The developmentally disabled will require assistance in daily living chores, cooking, laundry and grocery shopping. There are different levels of disability; not everyone with a developmental disability is completely dependent on others. It can take longer to learn basic skills to care for oneself.

Physical

• The physically disabled person may have been born with a disease or disorder that caused growth problems, loss of limb use, spinal problems, blindness, deafness or a combination of disorders. The physically disabled can be confined to a wheelchair or a bed without the use of arms or legs. Blind individuals may learn to read Braille, have a seeing eye dog as companion, while the deaf person learns to use sign language.

Psychological

• A psychological disability consists of mental or emotional disorders. The types of mental disorders include bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, antisocial, sleeping, mood and dementia disorders. It is not considered a disorder or disability if a person is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Chemicals, drugs and alcohol may result in similar symptoms as a mental or emotional disorder. Eating disorders are included in this classification of disabilities.

Learning

• Learning disabilities develop neurologically from birth or a head trauma resulting in difficulty with learning to read and write or complete mathematical equations and may interfere with a child's social development. When children are diagnosed early in life, special skills and teaching techniques are implemented. A learning disability is not a psychological or developmental disability, it is specific to the ability to understand the written and spoken word, and interferes with thinking, listening and speaking.