Other Health Impairment
Overview
Other health impairment (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 child’s educational performance. (IDEA)
Fifteen percent of students qualifying for services under the IDEA have an OHI designation (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).
The third most prevalent type of disability among school-aged children, the other health impairment (OHI) category covers a diverse range of health problems, making commonalities among students in this group challenging to identify.
Strengths
Students with other health impairments have many strengths, but oftentimes, their health problems inform their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, students with lung or heart conditions may not be strong in physical activities but may be very artistic, have strong interpersonal skills, be very organized, and have high intelligence. In the same way, those with emotional or attention disorders may be strong athletes, have a good sense of humor, and may be very loyal to friends and family. Because of the health impairment category’s variability, the individual’s strengths also will vary.
Needs
Students with other health impairments may need additional support regarding their social-emotional needs. Teachers can provide support with memory, as treatments and medications can impact students’ ability to recall information. Students also may miss a lot of school because of appointments and hospitalizations, and teachers can help ensure that students catch up after extended absences. In addition, teachers help students with other health impairments by strengthening their mental abilities to complete difficult tasks (Other Health Disabilities Resources).
Reflection
Supporting Students with Other Health Impairments
The section below explains some strategies for supporting students experiencing other health impairments. Based on what you have read so far, what strategies do you think might be useful for supporting students experiencing other health impairments?
Common Teaching Strategies
Project IDEAL offers the following ways to help promote learning among students with other health impairments:
- Allow extra time for these students to shift from one activity or environment to the next.
- Teach these students specific techniques for organizing their thoughts and materials. Organize the classroom accordingly, and keep all materials in permanent locations for easy access.
- Allow extra time for finishing assignments or for testing.
- For more complex activities, simplify steps to make them more manageable.
- Seat the student close to the teacher and away from any peers who may be distracting.
- Post a daily and weekly schedule that clearly delineates each activity. Use these schedules as prompts to direct the student back on task.
- Keep these schedules as consistent as possible, and keep unstructured time at a minimum. (Other Health Impairments)
Deeper Dive
Other Health Impairment
For more information about other health impairment, review the following resources:
References
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Students With Disabilities. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.
U.S. Department of Education. (2018). Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability. Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8
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
