Substantial Functional Limitations Information

If you are an Applicant, Submit an Application for Services if:

  • An applicant has a documented diagnosis of an Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability;
  • An applicant has "Substantial functional limitation" which means the applicant performs substantially below the level expected for a student with respect to the skills necessary in three or more of the following areas:
  • "Substantial functional limitation in economic self sufficiency" which means an applicant requires on-going supervision or frequent assistance and extensive training to perform the tasks required for a job, or to be able to work and maintain his/her employment as a result of his/her disability and not as a result of economic conditions or life style choice.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in expressive and receptive language" which means an applicant needs another person or alternative method to express or understand needs and wants or to effectively communicate with others or the individual is unable to understand/comprehend language or other forms of communication.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in independent living" which means an applicant needs ongoing assistance or frequent supervision to manage health care needs, to use community resources, to manage money, to perform routine housekeeping, or to maintain personal safety.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in learning" which means an applicant has tested two standard deviations below the mean on a comprehensive individual intelligence test or has had a comparable performance in two or more specific intellectual areas, such as memory, computation, reading/ writing and perception or that the person demonstrates the need for ongoing assistance or frequent supervision to use information or skills in different or new situations.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in mobility" which means an applicant needs the ongoing physical assistance of another person to move from place to place or needs the use of an extraordinary assistive device to move from place to place.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in self-care" which means an applicant needs on-going physical assistance, extensive training and/or frequent supervision in taking care of personal needs such as eating, personal hygiene and dressing.
  • "Substantial functional limitation in self-direction" which means an applicant requires ongoing assistance or frequent supervision in making decisions about social activities, personal finances, planning and setting goals, protecting one’s interests, establishing and asserting one’s rights and maintaining social relationships and resolving problems in daily living.