Other Health Impairments
Federal Definition (Including IDEA) and other commonly used definitions)
Other health impairment: Having limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems such as a heart condition, rheumatic fever, asthma, hemophilia, and leukemia, which adversely affect educational performance.
http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-4/ideas.htm
Causations of disabilities (when known)
· Asthma. A lung disease characterized by episodic difficulty in breathing, particularly exhaling, due to inflammation or obstruction of the air passages.
· Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Abnormalities associated with the mother’s drinking alcohol during pregnancy; defects range from mild to severe, including growth retardation, brain damage, intellectual disability, hyperactivity, anomalies of the face, and heart failure; also called alcohol embryopathy.
· Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A virus-caused illness resulting in a breakdown of the immune system; currently, no known cure exists.
· Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The virus that leads to AIDS; a type of retrovirus that gradually disables the body’s immune system, eventually leading to AIDS. The virus has been detected in the bloodstream of a person who is said to be “HIV positive.”
· Phenylketonuria (PKU). A metabolic genetic disorder caused by the inability of the body to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine; an accumulation of phenylalanine results in abnormal brain development.
(Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2009, p. 504-507)
Characteristics of disabilities
· Characteristics vary depending on type of disability.
What does a student with (specific disability) need from a teacher (regarding structure and organization, curriculum, expectations, special adaptations, transition, and/or social relationships with peers)?
· Individualized family service plan (IFSP). A plan mandated by P.L. 99-457 to provide services to young children with disabilities (under three years of age) and their families; drawn up by professionals and parents; similar to an IEP for older children.
(Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2009, p. 514)
Organizations that support, work for, or advocate for the disability.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation - includes information on treatment studies, drug trials, political issues and events
AIDS Meds.com by people who are HIV+, to help you make informed treatment decisions
AIDS Memorial At The Body
AIDS Survival Project
AmFAR - The American Foundation for AIDS Research
Camp Heartland - camping ground and outreach program for children based in Milwaukee
Children with AIDS Project - service provider for children affected by AIDS who will require foster or adoptive families
Continuum - providing professional health, social, and spiritual support programs in a safe community setting (outstanding design)
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation - dedicated to identifying, funding and conducting basic pediatric HIV/AIDS research
The HIV/AIDS Ministries Network - impressively broad outreach program of the United Methodist Church
Miss Camp America Foundation - relief to persons AIDS and volunteer and financial support to AIDS organizations
The Names Project Foundation the U.S. AIDS Memorial Quilt
National Association on HIV Over Fifty : for persons over the age of fifty affected by HIV
National Association for Victims of Transfusion-Acquired AIDS
National Long Term Survivors Group
National Pediatric & Family HIV Resource Center - non-profit organization serving children, teenagers and families (outstanding design)
National Minority AIDS Council providing AIDS leadership within U.S. "communities of color"
National Pediatric & Family HIV Resource Center - for professionals who care for all those with HIV infection and AIDS
North American Syringe Exchange Network needle exchange for prevention
Project Inform: Information, Inspiration, and Advocacy for People Living with HIV/AIDS
http://www.cellscience.com/HIVCharities.html
Long term implications of the disability on adolescents and adults
· Supported employment. A method of integrating people with disabilities who cannot work independently into competitive employment; includes use of an employment specialist, or job coach, who helps the person with a disability function on the job.
(Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2009, p. 523)
Current trends
All people who work with young children with physical disabilities have two concerns: (1) early identification and intervention and (2) development of communication. Besides communication, the first concern of teachers of young children with physical disabilities should be handling ad positioning. Handling refers to how the child is picked up, carried, held, and assisted; positioning refers to providing support for the child’s body and arranging instructional or play materials in certain ways.
(Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2009, p. 520-521)
Annotated bibliography of at least 6 resources
(websites, booklist, articles) for each disability area
· For many Websites related to FAS, simply enter fetal alcohol syndrome in as a search term in your Web browser. For example, you may find useful information at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas or at www.nofas.org
· The American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association provides information about AIDS and related disorders at www.aarda.org
· The Northwestern University Prosthetics Research Laboratory and Rehabilitation Engineering Program is dedicated to the improvement of prostheses and orthoses: www.nupoc.nortwestern.edu
· Rehabilitation tools and assistive devices may be researched at www.rehabtool.com
· At Adrian’s Adaptive Closet, you will find links to sites that offer clothes adapted for individuals who use wheelchairs: www.adrianscloset.com
· The site for Wheelchair Net is a community for people who have a common interest in wheelchair technology and its improvement and successful application: www.wheelchairnet.org
· The Attainment Company creates resources to people identify the emerging issues in special education and to access the education materials that will allow them to meet such issues effectively: www.attainmentcompany.com
· A wide variety of Websites provide ideas and guidance to independent living. These include: Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization for providing assistance dogs: www.caninecompanion.org
· A collection of computer-related products and services available to assist people with disabilities: www.closingthegap.com
· The Independent Living Research Utilization Center: www.ilru.org
· The Institute on Independent Living: www.independentliving.org
(Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2009, p. 506-524)