State of Wisconsin Eligibility Criteria for Children with Disability

1. Traumatic brain injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; speech and language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; communication; judgment; problem solving; sensory, perceptual and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and executive functions, such as organizing, evaluating and carrying out goal–directed activities. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
2. Children whose educational performance is adversely af-fected as a result of acquired injuries to the brain caused by internal occurrences, such as vascular accidents, infections, anoxia, tumors, metabolic disorders and the effects of toxic substances or degenerative conditions may meet the criteria of one of the other handicapping conditions under this section, such as other health impairment, learning disability, or multiple handicapped.
3. The results of standardized and norm–referenced instru-ments used to evaluate and identify a child under this paragraph may not be reliable or valid. Therefore, alternative means of evaluation, such as criterion–referenced assessment, achievement assessment, observation, work samples, and neuropsychological as-sessment data, shall be considered to identify a child who exhibits total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment in one or more of the areas described under subd. 1.
4. Before a child may be identified under this paragraph, available medical information from a licensed physician shall be considered.

Copies of all appropriate eligibility criteria are to be provided by the case manager to all IEP team members at the IEP meeting.

For further inquiries regarding special education, please contact Nissan Bar Lev, Director of Special Education CESA #7, telephone (920) 849-9384, or check the CESA #7 special education web site at:   http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/