Definition
According to Arkansas Special Education, ""Other health impairment" means having limited strength, vitality or alertness,
including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, Tourette’s Syndrome, and sickle cell anemia; and adversely affects a child's educational performance."
including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, Tourette’s Syndrome, and sickle cell anemia; and adversely affects a child's educational performance."
Characteristics
Characteristics for students with other health impairments vary, but may include:
- Students diagnosed with ADD/ADHD
- Students with a long period of absence due to a chronic or acute health problem
- An inability to attend to task for the same length of time as peers due to a chronic or acute health problem
- An inability to attend to task as a result of medication being taken for a chronic or acute health problem
- An inability to attend school for more than a few hours per day due to limited strength or vitality
Accommodations
Accommodations for students with other health impairments vary, but may include:
- Allow the student to tape-record lectures or provide the student with a lecture handout
- Orally give instructions or read the text/problem
- Allow extended due-dates for homework and at-home projects
- Stop=the-clock breaks
- Provide study guides and guided notes for at-home learning
- Praise student for hard work and dedication
Modifications
Modifications for students with other health impairments vary, but may include:
- Medications kept at school
- Rest times or stop-the-clock breaks
- Provide pictures whenever possible
- Modify assignments for the student's individual reading level
- Change grading system
- Give alternate homework
Resources
- Other Health Impairment
This resource contains a definition for students with other health impairments, possible characteristics, and screening information.
- Health Impairment Accommodations within School
A resource dedicated to identifying appropriate accommodations for students with other health impairments in school.
- Comprehensive Overview of Other Health Impairments
This website gives teachers information of the many different types of health impairments. It includes the IDEA definition as well as prevalence.
- Other Health Impairment
This is a great parent resource for teachers to use with parents who have children under OHI. It includes information in Spanish for bilingual parents.
- OHI Eligibility
A resource that provides teachers and parents with all the categories eligible under other health impairment.