Orthopedic Impairment

Definition

A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Criteria

Vision/hearing screening results are satisfactory

Evidence of an orthopedic impairment.

Performance measures that document how the child’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.

A statement providing evidence that the orthopedic impairment adversely affects educational performance, and for initial evaluation for special education services only, evidence of interventions/accommodations that have been tried in regular education class(es) or the natural environment but were deemed unsuccessful.

Evaluations

Vision/hearing screening.

Documentation of the orthopedic impairment (medical diagnosis/physician’s statement).

Performance measures such as developmental scores, intelligence scores, educational achievement and/or diagnostic test(s) scores, classroom observations, motor assessments, criterion-referenced tests, curriculum-based assessments, review of child's existing records.

A statement of how the impairment adversely affects the educational performance of the child, and for initial evaluations for special education services only, documentation of interventions/accommodations must include a written description of all interventions/
accommodations that have been tried in the regular education class(es) or the natural environment but were deemed unsuccessful.

How to recognize disability in the classroom.

Visible physical disabilities

Major health/physical impairments

Poor attention

Decreased writing speeds and accuracy

Decreased stamina and endurance

Poor motor control