16 NCAC 06I .0102            ELIGIBILITY

(a)  School age requirements for 5‑21 years of age students:

(1)           The prospective student's parents or legal guardians must reside in the state of North Carolina.

(2)           The prospective student must be between the ages of 5 and 21.

(3)           The prospective student must have an educationally significant visual impairment:

(A)          Blind ‑ a student who after best correction, has no usable vision and therefore must rely on tactile and auditory senses to obtain information.

(B)          Partially sighted ‑ student who has a visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye corrected, has a peripheral field that is restrictive to learning or who has a progressive vision loss which will affect the student's ability to learn.

(C)          Blind multihandicapped ‑ a student who has a visual impairment as defined in this Rule and a concomitant handicapping condition or conditions.

(D)          Deaf‑Blind ‑ a student who has concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication problems.

(4)           The prospective student must demonstrate a potential for educational progress during the initial evaluation process, in the areas of:

(A)          self‑help skills such as eating, dressing, assistive responses to bathing and toileting.

(B)          adaptation to new environments such as other children, teachers, support staff and dormitory staff as appropriate.

(C)          tolerance for change from one setting to another such as classes, staff, support services.

(D)          modification of undesirable or inappropriate behaviors.

(E)           curiosity initiative in exploratory play, willingness or acceptance of manipulation through gross and fine motor activities.

(5)           The prospective student must be able to adjust socially and psychologically to the residential environment and present no long‑lasting deficits in adaptive behavior that would interfere with either their or other student's educational progress.

(6)           The prospective student must demonstrate at least the characteristics as outlined by the American Association on Mental Deficiency for the Moderate, Mentally Retarded including:

(A)          schedule‑trained in toileting;

(B)          accepts solid foods;

(C)          finger‑feeds self and cooperates in bathing, dressing and grooming;

(D)          expresses his or her needs through natural gestures, signs or vocalizations;

(E)           shows a differential reaction to familiar adults and accepts tactual stimulation;

(F)           demonstrates potential for academic learning, self‑care and semi‑independent functioning as an adult;

(G)          demonstrates a level of intellectual or social and adaptive functioning of at least 40 on a standardized instrument.

(7)           The Governor Morehead School cannot accept students with significant medical problems that would include, but are not limited to planned hospitalization for prolonged period during the school year, chronic moderate to severe respiratory difficulties, semi‑consciousness or the requirement of substained medical support services, such as respirators, or seriously emotionally disturbed children who are disruptive that they require constant medical care and treatment by a psychiatrist.

(b)  Preschool requirements for birth ‑ five years of age student:

(1)           The prospective student's parents or legal guardians must reside in the state of North Carolina.

(2)           The prospective student must be between the ages of 5 and 21.

(3)           The prospective student must have an educationally significant visual impairment:

(A)          Blind ‑ a student who after best correction, has no usable vision and therefore must rely on tactile and auditory senses to obtain information.

(B)          Partially sighted ‑ student who has a visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye corrected, has a peripheral field that is restrictive to learning or who has a progressive vision loss which will affect the student's ability to learn.

(C)          Blind multihandicapped ‑ a student who has a visual impairment as defined in this Rule and a concomitant handicapping condition or conditions.

(D)          Deaf‑Blind ‑ a student who has concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication problems.

(4)           The prospective student must demonstrate a visual impairment significant enough to affect his or her development.

(5)           The Governor of Morehead School cannot accept students with significant medical problems that would include, but are not limited to planned hospitalization for a prolonged period during the school year, chronic moderate to severe respiratory difficulties, semi‑consciousness or the requirement of substained medical support services such as respirators or seriously emotionally disturbed children who are so disruptive that they require constant medical care and treatment by a psychiatrist.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 115C‑127; 115C‑106(b); 115C‑113;

Eff. February 1, 1976;

Amended Eff. October 1, 1990;

Transferred from 10A NCAC 93 .0102 Eff. June 1, 2011.