Special Education 547

Unit One - Part 1

Physical/Health Disabilities: Definitions and Impact on

EducationKevin Anderson

Minnesota State University Moorhead2006

P/HD Criteria

• Eligibility, referral, and assessment

• MN criteria guidelines

• Checklist

Current Educational Issues

• Identification criteria

• Entrance and exit criteria

Collaboration

• Role and responsibility

• Other teachers

• Support personnel

Historical Perspective

• Philosophical foundation of P/HD

• Legal basis of P/HD

Definitions

• Contemporary issues of P/HD

• Incidence of P/HD on quality of life

• High incidence disabilities

Developmental and Educational Implications

• Etiology

• Characteristics

• Classification

Curriculum

• Task analysis

• Environmental analysis

• Assistive technology

• Adaptations

IEP Development

• Monitoring

• Evaluation

• Recommendations

Assessment

• Formal and informal

• Tools and methods

• Data collection

Medical Collaboration

• School liaison

• Medical contacts

• Maintaining current information

• Ensuring health-related programming

• Reassuring and supporting teachers and aids

• Online training needs

Life Domains

• Pyschosocial domains

• Personal care and life skills

• Community and recreation needs

Health Implications

• Universal precautions

• Environmental issues

Transition

• Self-advocacy

• Transition across age-levels

• Post-secondary transition

Curricular Adaptations and Instruction

• Core curricular areas

• Adaptations

• Instruction

• Achievement

Unit 1 Physical/Health Disabilities

• Criteria

• Educational issues

• Collaboration

• Historical perspective

• Definitions

Teaching Students with Physical/Health Disabilities

• Curricular knowledge and strategies for instruction

• Knowledge of variety of disabling conditions and how they impact function

• Understand legal mandates

• Interact with variety of personnel

• Empathy when working with families

• Resource for general education teacher

• Advocates for students

• Promote self-advocacy

Critical Issues in P/HD

• Current educational issues Identification criteria Entrance and exit criteria

• Collaboration Role and responsibility Other teachers Support personnel

Educational Implications of Physical Impairments

• Limited physical strength and/or mobility causes difficulty with completion of tasks involving motor skills (fine and gross, visual motor, and motor planning)

• Accompanying neurological impairments may affect organization and work skills

Educational Implications of Physical Impairments

• Physical limitations,including impaired strength and endurance, cause difficulty managing tasks or materials in the classroom

• Combination of limited strength, endurance, and mobility may impact students ability to participate in academic tasks

Identification Criteria

• Medically diagnosed• Chronic condition• Physically impaired• Congenital or acquired condition• Adverse affect on physical or academic

function• Requires special education and related

services

Entrance/Exit Criteria

• Documentation of a medically diagnosed physical impairment• Documentation of educational implications related to physical

impairment Lack of organization or work skills Inability to manage motor-related classroom tasks Scores 1.0 standard deviations or more below the mean on

standardized achievement test• Teacher licensed in the area of Physically Impaired must be part

of the evaluation team

Educational Implications of Health Impairments

• Results in excessive absences From school due to illness or appointments From classroom due to procedures or

therapies

• Interferes in ability to manage materials, transitions, and participation in physical and recreational activities

Educational Implications of Health Impairments

• Poor endurance causes difficulty completing written assignments and requires frequent rest breaks

• Fatigue level causes difficulty staying on task and completing assignments

• Level of pain or discomfort impacts overall participation• Distractibility level interferes with attention in class,

initiating tasks, and remaining on task

Identification Criteria

• Limited strength, endurance, vitality, or alertness• Heightened or diminished alertness to

environmental stimuli• Medically diagnosed• Chronic or acute health conditions• Adverse affect on educational performance• Requires special education and related services

Entrance/Exit Criteria

• Documentation of health condition by a licensed physician• Adverse affect on ability to complete educational tasks within timely

manner, including three of the following: Excessive absenteeism Specialized healthcare procedures Impact of medication Limited physical strength and endurance Level of alertness impacted Impaired ability to manage or organize materials Difficulty following directions or completing tasks

Placement Decisions

• P/HD criteria Eligibility, referral and assessment MN criteria guidelines P/HD eligibility checklist

• Service delivery

• Educational settings

Physically Impaired Criteria

• Documentation of a medically diagnosed physical impairment

• One of the following: Need for special education supported by lack of functional level

in organization or independent work skills Need for special education supported by an inability to manage

or complete motoric portions of classroom tasks Achievement deficit of 1.0 standard deviations or more below the

mean

PI Criteria Checklist

• Diagnosis, name of physician making diagnosis, and date of initial diagnosis

• One of the following: Lack of organization and independent work skills as documented

by 2 systematic observations by licensed teacher Inability to complete motoric portions of classroom tasks as

documented by 2 systematic observations by licensed teacher Achievement deficit of 1.0 standard deviation or more below the

mean

PI Referral and Assessment

• Referral for physical/health needs directed to P/HD teacher

• Coordination with other special education teachers and related service providers

• Determination of achievement deficits

• Identification of classroom limitations

• Review of medical files

Other Health Impaired Criteria

• Limited strength, endurance, vitality, heightened or diminished alertness due to chronic or acute health conditions

• Two parts Medical diagnosis of chronic or acute health

condition Adverse effect on educational achievement

and routine timelines

OHI Criteria Checklist

• Diagnosis, name of physician making diagnosis, and date of initial diagnosis

• Adverse effect on academic achievement, including three documentations

• Evaluation of academic achievement

OHI Referral and Assessment

• Standardized evaluation of achievement

• Systematic interviews

• Systematic observations

• Review of medical history and other relevant records

Teacher Qualifications

• Scope of practice• Licensing requirements

Bachelor degree Standards for effective practice Core skill requirements Approved board of teaching program

• Subject matter standard• Continuing licensure• Licensed teacher of special education

Service Delivery

• Direct services Provided by PI teacher or other assigned

special education teacher Due to low-incidence of PI, teachers may be

itinerant

• Indirect services Consultation to direct service providers Reviews, planning, modifications, adaptations

Settings

• General education classroom• More restrictive setting depending on educational

need• Placement with special education teacher based

on several factors Similar needs Transdisciplinary approach Coordination of services Access to needed supports

Collaboration/Consultation

• Indirect services Progress reviews Cooperative planning Consultation Demonstration teaching Modifications and adaptations

• Environment• Curriculum• Materials and equipment

Monitor and observe

Collaboration/Consultation

• Direct services Provided by a teacher or related service

provider Related to instruction Cooperative learning Need determined by IEP team Based on student’s goals and objectives

Roles and Responsibilities of P/HD Teacher

• Direct service provider when deemed necessary by IEP team

• Indirect service provider

• Consultant to team members

• Liaison between medical community and educational setting

• Advocate for unique needs of students with physical and health impairments

Direct Service Providers

• May be other special education services providers LD, EBD teachers - if educational needs are primarily in learning

or behavior DCD teacher if students need require a more functional approach Specialist teachers if primary condition is in other area - vision or

D/HH teacher Related service providers - therapists providing mobility and

accommodations or social worker providing family support

Support Personnel

• Classroom paraprofessional Provided specific list of tasks that may require

assistance Training required for unique needs of

physically or health impaired Sensitivity to issues such as over-reliance

upon caregivers, health concerns, limited mobility, self-determination needs

Historical Perspectives

• Ancient civilizations

• Middle ages

• 1600’s

• Disability Rights Movement

Terminology

• World Health Organization (WHO) Impairment - presence of a specific condition Disability - related to the levels of performance

based on functional limitation; consequence to impairment; temporary or permanent

Handicap - value attached to a condition that departs from the norm

Federal Categories

• Orthopedic impairments

• Other health impairments

• Multiple disabilities

• Traumatic brain injury

Legal Mandates

• Rehabilitation Act - 1973• ECHA - 1975• Tech Act - 1988• ADA - 1990• Carl D. Perkins - 1990• IDEA - 1990• IDEA amendments - 1997

Issues

• Uniqueness

• Visibility

• Duration

• Accommodations

• Services

Educational Settings

• Array of services

• Challenges

• Teacher competencies

• Roles

• Resources