assisant

Determining Special

Education Eligibility - Other

Health Impairment

Department of Education, Office of Special Education

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This guidance document is advisory in nature but is binding on an agency until amended by such agency. A guidance

document does not include internal procedural documents that only affect the internal operations of the agency and

does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties or include confidential information or rules

and regulations made in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. If you believe that this guidance

document imposes additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties, you may request a review of the

document. For comments regarding this document contact [email protected]

It is the policy of the Nebraska Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, race,

color, religion, marital status, age, national origin or genetic information in its education programs, administration,

policies, employment or other agency programs.

Introduction

This technical assistance document was written to provide parents, teachers, special

education personnel, administrators, and other professionals with information on the

identiHcation and determination of eligibility for special education services for children with

other health impairment.

This disability category has been deHned by both federal and state regulations. A three- part

eligibility requirement for a child to be identiHed as a child with other health impairment is as

follows:

• Meet eligibility criteria (92 NAC 51.006);

• Documentation of adverse effect on educational performance; and

• Determination that a need for special education is evident.

State De5nition

Other Health Impairment- To qualify for special education services in the category of other

health impairment, the child must have: 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 which adversely

affects the child’s educational, or in the case of a child below age Hve, a child’s

developmental performance such as: asthma, attention deHcit disorder or attention deHcit

hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning,

leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, Tourette syndrome.

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Section 1: MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVALUATION (MDT)

CONSIDERATIONS

The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) should include at least:

• The child’s parent(s);

• For a school age child, the child’s regular teacher(s) or a regular classroom

teacher qualiHed to teach a child of that age;

◦ For a child below age Hve, a teacher qualiHed to teach a child below age

Hve;

• Special educator with knowledge of the child;

• A school district administrator or a designated representative; and

• At least one person qualiHed to conduct individual diagnostic examinations of

children in their speciHc area of training (i.e., school psychologist, speech

language pathologist, or other instructional specialist).

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