ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT (OI)
Definition.
Orthopedic impairment refers to students whose severe orthopedic impairments affect their educational performance to the degree that the student requires special education.
This term may include:
(1) Impairment caused by congenital anomalies, e.g., deformity or absence of some member.
(2) Impairment caused by disease e.g., poliomyelitis or bone tuberculosis.
(3) Impairment from other causes e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures.
Secondary disabilities may be present, including, but not limited to, visual impairment, hearing impairment, communication impairment and/or intellectual disability.
Eligibility and Placement.
Evaluation for initial eligibility shall include the following.
(1) A current medical evaluation from a licensed doctor of medicine. The evaluation report used for initial eligibility shall be current within one year. The evaluation shall indicate the diagnosis/prognosis of the student’s orthopedic impairment, along with information as applicable regarding medications, surgeries, special health care procedures and special diet or activity restrictions.
(2) A comprehensive educational assessment or, for preschool-age children, an appropriate developmental assessment, to indicate the effects of the orthopedic impairment on the student’s educational performance.
(3) Assessments shall document deficits in: pre-academic or academic functioning, social-emotional development, adaptive behavior, motor development or communication abilities resulting from the orthopedic impairment. When assessment information indicates significant deficit(s) in cognitive/academic functioning, a psychological evaluation shall be given.
Students served in a class for orthopedic impairments should be functioning no lower than criteria outlined for mild intellectual disabilities programs. For those students with orthopedic impairments served in other special education programs due to the severity of their sensory or intellectual disability, support by the OI teacher regarding the implications of the student’s orthopedic impairment may be appropriate.