Other Health Impaired Underserved in Gifted Education Scott Huff, Anna Irvin, & Judy Camp

OHI: What does it mean? According to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), an Other Health Impairment is defined as: 0 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, and sickle cell anemia; and (ii) adversely affects a child's educational performance [34 C.F.R (c)(9)].

Most Common Health Impairments 0 ADD/ADHD 0 Diabetes 0 Epilepsy 0 Heart Conditions 0 Hemophilia 0 Lead poisoning 0 Leukemia 0 Nephritis 0 Rheumatic Fever 0 Sickle Cell Anemia 0 Tourette Syndrome

Characteristics 0 Fatigue 0 Mobility Issues 0 Attention/focus issues 0 Coordination difficulties 0 Muscle weakness 0 Decreased stamina 0 Inability to concentrate for long periods of time

Possible Issues 0 Child may miss school frequently for doctor appointments or illnesses 0 May have physical restrictions 0 Inattentiveness due to health impairment and/or medications 0 Other medication side effects, such as increased thirst 0 Academic lags

Educational Interventions 0 Flexible time limits 0 Freedom to use bathroom or drinking fountain as needed 0 Frequent breaks 0 Reduced assignments 0 Alternative assignments when absent frequently 0 Alternative grading scale 0 Allow child to escape assignment if necessary 0 Safe Place 0 Include School Nurse and Social Worker in IEP process 0 Decrease distractions 0 Flexible seating *Specific interventions may vary based on the student’s particular health issue.

Advocacy Issues 0 Legislation 0 Laws are being enacted and evaluated to preserve the rights of students with special needs. 0 IDEA, FAPE, and other specific laws protect the rights of these students to receive and appropriate education. 0 Awareness 0 Schools need to provide resources to raise awareness of the broad scope of an OHI label 0 Professional learning for teachers to teach them how to provide appropriate interventions 0 Support 0 Counselors, school nurses, and social workers need to be available to assist students with health issues when needed

Best Practices 0 Build a caring, nurturing classroom environment 0 Teach students about the health impairment 0 Use of visuals 0 Hands-on learning 0 Cooperative learning 0 Partner work 0 Give short, concise directions 0 Teach lessons that allow for movement around room 0 Allow for frequent, positive feedback 0 Help the child build on his strengths and be successful 0 Give ADHD student frequent breaks or allow to go on errands