Types of Disabilities | Student Affairs Office

Our University encourages students and peers, teachers and academic staff, parents and the public to recognize, accept and respect students with individual differences and special educational needs. We can learn more about different kinds of disabilities by distinguishing three types of categories:

Type I: Communication, Physical and Sensory Disabilities

Type II: Learning and Developmental Disabilities

Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD)
特殊學習困難

Students with SpLD usually have problems in one of three areas, reading, writing and math.

Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD)
注意力不足 /
過度活躍症

Students usually have inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
自閉症譜系障礙

Students with ASD show marked disabilities in social communication and interaction, also restricted and repetitive behaviors .

Type III: Mental Illnesses

Mental illnesses (精神病) are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behaviour (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

Other Disabilities

Visceral disability (器官障礙), chronic illness (長期病患), brain injuries (腦部受傷), and having more than one type of disability are examples of other disabilities. Some SEN students have superior intelligence and learning disabilities at the same time.

Sources: Education Bureau (2014, August). Operation Guide on the Whole School Approach to Integrated Education [PDF document]. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/special/support/wsa/ie guide_en.pdf