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Other Health Impairment

Definition

Other health impairment is defined as 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, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, or sickle cell anemia, Tourette Syndrom and adversely affects the child's educational performance. [34 CFR 300.8(c)(9)]

(05-071 Chapter 101, Maine Unified Special Education Regulations)

Procedure for Determination.  All steps below are required.

• Data from general education interventions, if appropriate, using research based intervention techniques indicate that the response to general education intervention is not adequate.
• The I.E.P. Team shall consider any available written diagnoses and/or educational, psychological or medical evaluation results relevant to the identification process.
• Current diagnostic criteria must have been considered in making the diagnosis or diagnostic impression.

• The I.E.P. Team shall review written reports of observations within the educational environment, if the child is participating in an educational environment.  These observations must include a comparison of the referred/identified student's behavior to same-aged peers' behaviors from the same environment.

• When considering eligibility due to an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diagnostic impressions of ADHD must be based on a multi-method and multi-informant assessment process conducted across multiple environments including the educational setting for children participating in an educational setting.  Methods for ADHD assessment must include at least the following:

1. Psychosocial History;
2. Clinical interviews;
3. Structured observations of the child's behavior in the educational setting;
4. Behavior rating scales measuring features of attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity across multiple settings including the educational setting; and
5. Measures that rule out other disorders that may manifest with similar symptoms.

• A child with a medical condition listed under Other Health Impairment may also be eligible under another category if he or she meets the criteria for that other category and needs special education and related services.  All children who have one or more of the conditions listed under Other Health Impairment are not necessarily eligible to receive special education services under IDEA.

Useful Links:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

CDC Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Reading Rockets (AD/HD)