The Other Health Impairment Category and Health-Based Classroom Accommodations

Abstract

School psychologists (N = 161) completed a questionnaire regarding the category of other health impairment (OHI) and classroom accommodations for children with health conditions. School psychologists indicated that they were familiar with OHI and often used the category. More school psychologists were involved in OHI placements for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (84.3% during the past 12 months) than for the next most cited disorders (viz., 26.7 and 21.4% were involved in at least one placement for a student with epilepsy or asthma/pulmonary disease, respectively). Participants generally perceived educators as capable of making classroom accommodations, although they viewed both limited knowledge of the implications illness and problems consistently applying knowledge about illness as moderate to severe barriers to accommodations. Findings such as these may help school psychologists to continue to embrace health issues in their practices.

Key Words:

• School practice
• child health impairment
• classroom accomodation
• health services
• physical illness