S P R I N G

2 0 1 6

Children with

Other Health Impairments

Desiree Nix

General
Characteristics
General
characteristics
for children with Other
Health Impairments
are: feeling fatigue,
mobility issues,
coordination
difficulties, limited
strength (muscle
weakness), missing
school often, being
tardy frequently,
stamina, and/or the
inability to focus for
long periods of time.

The only disability in

life is a bad attitude.
- Scott Hamilton

Federal Definition of OHI:

Based off the website Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) the federal
definition of Other Health Impairments (OHI) is:
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-(i) 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, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome; and
(ii) Adversely affects a childs educational performance.
Although the a student may face these health issues in order for them to qualify as
OHI eligible, the childs health issue must effect their educational environment. If
their health issue does not affect their education environment, such as causing the
child to have limited strength, energy, or awareness, then the child does not
qualify as OHI eligible.

Classroom Accommodations:

Common classroom accommodations for students with

OHI are having note takers for the student, in class
voice recordings of what was taught in class that day,
flexible attendance, extended time for tests, creating a
classroom environment that lessens fatigue and injury,
technology to enhance the students learning, and rest
times throughout the day.

THE
LOREM IPSUMS
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SUMMER 2016

Strengths of Children With OHI,

Instructional Strategies, and Ongoing
Communication With Parents!
Based off the accommodations for
students with Other Health
Impairments, some possible strengths
of OHI are having rest time during
school hours, reduction of school work,
having others take notes for you, and
extended time during exams.
Instructional strategies beneficial
in instructing students with this
disability succeed in school by being
flexible with the child. The child can be
successful in his or her learning by
making information clear to the student,
keeping the information given to the
student well-organized, give the student

Reference List:

Disability Rights Wisconsin. (2007, November 16). Health Impairments Accommodations within
School. Retrieved February 01, 2016, from
http://www.disabilityrightswi.org/archives/66
Grice, K. (2002). Eligibility under IDEA for Other Health Impaired Children (1st ed., pp. 7-12).
Institute of Government. Retrieved from
http://sogpubs.unc.edu/electronicversions/slb/slbsum02/article2.pdf
Hallahan, D.P., Kauffman, J.M., & Pullen, P.C. (2015).
Exceptional Learners (13th ed). Upper Saddle River; NJ, Pearson, Chapter 14 (OHI).
IDEA Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved February 01, 2016, from
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,regs,300,A,300%2E8,
National Association of Special Education Teachers. (n.d.). NASET.org Home
Page. Retrieved February 01, 2016, from https://www.naset.org/2278.0.html
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. (2013). Health Impairments Project IDEAL.
Retrieved February 01, 2016, from http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/healthimpairments/
University of Washington. (n.d.). Health Impairments. Retrieved February 01, 2016, from