Other Health Disabilities (OHD): Talking Points Identification ● MN Rule Eligibility for Other Health Disabilities ● MN OHD Manual: Meeting the Needs of Students with Other Health Disabilities ● Definition of Expanded Spectrum of Health Care Providers for Students with OHD ● Documenting the Health Condition ● Eligibility & Medical Documentation: Students with AD/HD Evaluation ● Required Components of a Student Evaluation ● Sources for Evaluation Data Program Planning ● OHD Information Sheets ● The Medically Fragile Child: Caring for Children with Special Healthcare Needs in the School Setting (AFT Publication, 2009) ● Students with ADHD and Section 504: A Resource Guide (U.S Dept of Education, Office for Civil Rights; 2016) Additional Resources ● Statewide OHD Mailing List ● Statewide P/HD Wiki Administrators "Need to Know" for Other Health Disabilities ● Other Health Disabilities currently has the highest child count of all traditionally identified low incidence areas, including ASD Over 41% of the total special education child count for December 2017 is designated under the OHD category ● Currently, there is no teacher licensure aligned with the OHD category, although there are identified competencies for educators It is strongly recommended that educators who are knowledgeable in this area be involved in student evaluations and serve as an IEP team member for students being considered for OHD eligibility Physical/Health Disabilities (P/HD) teachers occasionally serve in this capacity for students with low incidence chronic or acute health conditions Students with AD/HD who qualify for special education services under the OHD category can be served by a wide array of special educators, which may be determined by a student’s other co-existing educational needs or disabilities ● Hamline University has the only OHD certificate program in Minnesota, offering online courses that are aligned with nationally identified CEC professional competencies in the area of OHD ● A change in the spectrum of health care providers who can provide medical documentation for OHD eligibility purposes was made in 2016 when Minn Stat § 125A.08 was amended to expand providers beyond physicians Two examples include advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and physician assistants (PAs) Note that this expanded spectrum of providers does not apply to the eligibility process for students with a diagnosis of AD/HD ● Pre-referral interventions for students suspected of having a chronic or acute health condition should first be considered, unless the symptoms and related educational needs are so pronounced that an immediate evaluation is required ● OHD should not be used as a ‘default’ category OHD eligibility should be directly related to a chronic or acute health condition Often, students with AD/HD may have one or more co-existing conditions that require specialized instruction and supports Some students may have a mental health or neurodevelopmental condition and present with complex and intertwined educational needs In such situations, careful consideration should be given to the eligibility process and a customized educational program, with a focus on educators who have expertise and knowledge in the specific disability or health condition Child Count Trends: Other Health Disability Childcount 20,000 19,781 18,152 18,786 19,413 16,114 16,607 17,171 17,693 15,000 10,000 5,000 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Statewide Specialist: Deb Williamson, Statewide OHD Specialist MN Low Incidence Projects, Metro ECSU Pine Tree Drive, Suite 101 Arden Hills, MN 55112 612.638.1532 deb.williamson@metroecsu.org Reference Websites: MN Low Incidence Projects OHD Webpage MN Dept of Education OHD Webpage