What is a “substantial disability”?
Published: Feb. 2, 2022Updated: Apr. 17, 2026
This is a disability that results in “significant functional limitations” in three or more of the following areas, as determined by a Regional Center and as compared to a child or young adult’s same-age typically developed peers:
Self-care
Receptive and expressive language
Learning
Mobility
Self-direction
Capacity for independent living
Economic self-sufficiency
For more information, check out our article Regional Center 101.
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