Disabilities, Severe and Multiple

Individuals with severe disabilities are those who require extensive and sustained support to participate in the range of life activities typically accessed by individuals without disabilities. Life activities that may require support include communication, mobility, self-care, and daily living. Estimates of prevalence range from 0.1% to 1% of the population. Individuals with severe disabilities can exhibit concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability with visual impairment, or autism with cerebral palsy). When two or more disabilities are present, the individual is considered to have multiple disabilities. Individuals with severe disabilities reflect the diversity of the general population in ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic levels, and personal characteristics. Individuals with severe and multiple disabilities have not always received equal educational opportunities, but instead have sometimes been relegated to separate ...