Orthopedic and Other Health Impairments

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Orthopedic and Other Health Impairments

• Amberle Moore

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Orthopedic Impairments

• An orthopedic impairment is a severe impairment
  that affects the skeletal system and associated
  muscles, joints, and ligaments and adversely
  affects a child's educational performance.
• The term includes impairments caused by
  congenital anomalies, impairments caused by
  disease, and impairments from other causes.

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Congenital Anomalies

• Mild to severe disabilities that involve the
  musculoskeletal system. Coordination between
  muscles and bones are affected.
• Examples include
• Club Foot
• Arthritis
• Juvenile
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid
• Scoliosis
• Arthrogryposis
• Osteogenesis Imperfecta

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Impairments from Diseases and Other Causes

• Mainly caused by Neuromotor impairments which
  refers to the way the nervous system controls the
  muscular system
• Examples Include
• Cerebral Palsy
• Epilepsy
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Spina Bifida
• Spinal Cord Injury

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Other Health Impairments

• 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 and adversely
  affects a child's educational performance.

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Other Health Impairments Include

• Aids
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Juvenile-Onset Diabetes
• Hemophilia

• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Tuberculosis
• Congenital Heart Diseases
• Drug and Alcohol Dependency
• Hydrocephalus

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Classroom Accommodations

• Emotional Accommodations
• Establish a safe classroom
• Allow leaving the classroom for medical reasons
• Focus on abilities, not disabilities
• Inform the class of issues when needed

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Classroom Accommodations

• Physical Accommodations
• Provide books for home and school
• Allow student to use one notebook
• Allow for lessons to be tape recorded
• Promote activities that work gross and fine motor
  skills
• Write down assignments for the child
• Make classroom accessible

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Classroom Accommodations

• Personal Accommodations
• Find out from parents and school officials what
  your role in dressing or toileting the child
  should be
• Fatigue may set in sooner than other students
• Student may need more bathroom trips
• Use small groups to facilitate social connections

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Resources

• American Diabetes Association. (2007). All
  about diabetes. Retrieved February 10, 2007
  from, http//www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp
• National Association of Parents with Children in
  Special Education. (2007). Other health
  impairments. Retrieved February 10, 2007 from,
  http//www.napcse. org/exceptionalchildren/otherh
  ealthimpairments/
• National Association of Parents with Children in
  Special Education. (2007). Orthopedic
  impairments. Retrieved February 10, 2007 from,
  http//www.napcse.org/exceptionalchildren/orthope
  dicimpairments.php
• National Association of Special Education
  Teachers. (2007). Orthopedic Impairments.
  Retrieved February 10, 2007 from,
  http//www.naset.org/orthopedic
  impairment2.0.html
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
  Stroke. (2007). Spina Bifida fact sheet.
  Retrieved February 10, 2007 from,http//www.ninds.
  nih.gov/ disorders/spina_ bifida/detail_spina_bif
  ida.htm
• Pierangelo, R. (2001). What every teacher
  should know about students with special needs.
  Champaign, IL Research Press.