Disability-Specific Characteristic Matrix

Directions: Use a variety of resources to find and create lists of the common characteristics of students with each of these six
disabilities.

Specific Learning
Disabilities

Emotional/Behavior
al Disorders

Academic
Characteristic
s

Social and/or
Behavioral
Characteristic
s

Physical
Characteristic
s

Possible
Strengths

-Difficulty
reading aloud
-Poor reading
comprehension
-Struggle
writing papers
and essays
-Trouble
understanding
lectures
-Difficulty
following multi
step directions
-Difficulty
focusing

-May struggle
interpreting
non-verbal
cues
-May have
difficulty
making and
maintaining
peer
relationships
-May not
display or react
to non verbal
cues during
conversations
-May be
withdrawn

-May have
poor motor
abilities,
including
difficulty
holding writing
instruments

-Creative
-Energetic

-Perform one
or more years
below grade

-Hyperactivity
-Aggression or
self-injurious

-Generally non
applicable,
though

-Creativity
-Energy

Attention Deficit
Hyperactive
Disorder
(ADHD)

level
-Can coincide
with specific
learning
disabilities
-High
absenteeism
-High dropout
rate
-High
percentage of
low to average
intellectual
ability

behavior
-Withdrawal
-Temper
tantrums
Noncomplianc
e or
combativeness
with teacher
instructions
-Difficulty
making and
keeping friends
-Excessive fear
or anxiety

behavior may
have physical
side effects

Academic
Characteristic
s

Behavioral
Characteristic
s

Physical
Characteristic
s

Strengths

-Difficulty
following
through with
tasks

-Often
interrupts
others
-Talks often

-No specific
physical
characteristics,
except

-Flexibility
-Enthusiasm
-Spontaneity
-Creativity

Communication
Disorder
Speech / Language

-Fidgets or
squirms often
in class
-Trouble
organizing
material
-Difficulty
paying
attention
-Easily
distracted by
environment
-Avoids tasks
that require
sustained
mental
concentration
-Often forgets
deadlines and
work

-Difficulty
thinking before
acting
-Impulsivity in
speaking
-Quick temper,
easily
frustrated
-May appear
uninterested in
conversation
-May struggle
maintain
emotional
relationships

propensity for
movement and
or fidgeting

-Energetic

-Reduced
vocabulary
-Inability or
difficulty
following
directions
-Inability or

-Difficulty
carrying on
normal
conversation
-Reticence to
engage in
social

-May be the
result of
physical
attributes like
cleft lip or
palate or
medical

-Thoughtful
-Patient
-Contemplative
-Flexible

difficulty
responding to
questions and
expressing
ideas
-Inappropriate
grammatical
patterns
-Improper use
of words and
their meanings

Highfunctioning
Autism

interactions
-Difficulty
regulating
emotions
-Poor selfesteem
-Difficulty
forming and
maintaining
close social
relationships
-May have
difficulty
modulating
volume of
voice
appropriately

conditions such
as cerebral
palsy or
muscular
dystrophy
-May have
below average
coordination
-May have
frequent
allegories or
colds

Academic
Characteristic
s

Behavioral
Characteristic
s

Physical
Characteristic
s

-Need rigid
rules and
routine,
struggle with

-May fixate on
specific topics
-Limited eye
contact

-Delayed motor
skills
-Strong reaction
to certain

Strengths

-Often
extremely
intelligent
-Excellent

Orthopedic
Impairment
s (skeletal
&
muscular)

spontaneity
and uncertainty
-Average to
above average
intelligence,
often focused
in one subject
or area
-Difficulty
transitioning
between
activities
-Short attention
span except in
areas of
interest
-Difficulty
with reading
comprehension
-Excellent rote
memory in
some areas

-Inability or
extreme
difficulty
managing
conflict
-Anxious in
crowds
-Speak
pedantically
-Emotions pass
suddenly or
occur for
extended
period of time
-Difficulty
understanding
group
interactions,
particularly
when sarcasm
or jokes figure
heavily

stimuli, like
smells, textures,
sounds, or
sights
-Unusual gait
(i.e. does not
swing arms or
walks on toes)

rote memory
particularly in
areas of
interest
-Trusting and
honest
Perfectionism

-Wide range of
ability, based
on presence of
related or
coexisting

-Wide range of
ability, based
on presence of
related or
coexisting

-Wide range of
ability, based on
presence of
related or
coexisting

-Empathetic
-Adaptable

Mild
Intellectual
Disability

diagnosis
-May struggle
with physical
aspects of
learing, like
holding a
pencil or
navigating a
book
-May be
behind social
or academic
level of peers
due to
absenteeism
-May exhibit
leanred
helplessness

diagnosis
-May be
behind peers
social because
of missed
childhood
experienes and
interactions
due to motoric
restriction
-Higher than
average rate of
depression

diagnosis
-Motor skill
difficulty,
severity
depending on
specific
situation

Academic
Characteristic
s

Social and/or
Behavioral
Characteristic
s

Physical
Characteristics

Possible
Strengths

-Delayed
ability in
learning to
read and
learning basic

-Difficulty
understanding
verbal
interactions
and

-May be
clumsy
-May neglect
hygiene without
reminders

- Empathetic
-Tenacious
-Adaptable

Deaf/Hard
of Hearing

math skills,
translating to
difficulty in
related subjects
like science
and history
-Limited
vocabulary
acquisition
-Difficulty
with sustained
attention to
academic tasks
-Difficulty
with short term
memory
-Difficulty
generalizing
information

understanding
expectations
during verbal
interactions
-Difficulty
retaining
information
from and
remaining
attentive
during verbal
interaction
-Difficulty
distinguishing
between
acceptable and
unacceptable
standards of
behavior

-May display
obsessive/
compulsive
behaviors

-Difficulty
acquiring
spoken
language
-Average to
above average
ability unless a
byproduct of or

-Often follows
instead of leads
-Use of hearing
aids may be
cause for
embarrassment
or fear of
rejection

-May appear
dizzy or
disoriented due
to ears
connection to
balance

- Tenacious
-Empathetic

Visually
Impaired

a secondary
condition
-Difficulty
following
verbal
direction (if
hard of
hearing)
-Difficulty
with
articulation
-Easily
overwhelmed
in loud or
chaotic
situations (if
hard of
hearing)

-May be easily
frustrated by
inability to
understand or
communicate
-May have
difficulty
forming
friendships if a
communication
system is not
present

Academic
Characteristic
s

Social and/or
Behavioral
Characteristic
s

Physical
Characteristic
s

-Limited or no
ability to learn

-Hesitancy in
new

-Possible
crossed eyes,

Possible
Strengths

- Creative
-Tenacious

Other
Health
Impairment
s

incidentally
from their
environment
-May result in
low motivation
to interact with
school
environment
-Difficulty
writing legibly
-Difficulty
keeping place
while reading
-May be
psychologicall
y intimidated
by print or
tactile
experiences

environments
-Potentially
below average
social skills
due to loss of
childhood
interaction due
to disability
-Potential for
low self esteem
-Difficulty with
non-verbal
cues and
nuances of
social behavior
-Potential for
social isolation

watery eyes,
reoccurring
sties
-Potential for
clumsiness
-Difficulty with
depth
perception
-Frequent
blinking or
squinting
Possible
sensitivity to
bright lights

-Wide range of
ability and
behavior
determinant on
specific
impairment-a
student with
Tourettes
syndrome for

-see academic
characteristics

- see academic
characteristics

- see
academic
characteristic
s

example
presents
entirely
different
characteristics
than a student
with diabetes.
As such, each
specific
situation will
present with its
own behaviors
and strengths