Health impairments by Christina

Health impairments- chronic or acute health problems such that the physiological capacity to function is significantly limited and that results in limited strengths, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, resulting in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment.

Characteristics:

Major Health Impairments

• Juvenile diabetes- is a disorder in which the blood sugar of the individual is abnormally high because he body does not produce enough insulin or because the body is insensitive to the insulin that is produced.
  
• Asthma- is a condition affecting an individual's breathing.
  
• Cardiac conditions- each year in the US an estimated forty thousand infants are born with heart disease that range from so slight that problems might not appear for years to severe that they are immediately life threatening.
  
• Blood disorders
  
• Cystic fibrosis- is an inherited disease that affects a child's breathing and digestion.
  
• Cancer- the most common kinda of cancer in children are leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors.
• Other Conditions
  

Congenital Diseases

• HIV/AIDS- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is the breakdown of the body's immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. The likelihood of a child with HIV infecting another child during normal classroom activity i low but teachers must still take precautions.
  
• TORCH infections= congenital diseases that include toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegaloviris infections, and herpes simplex infections

Acquired Disease - children who become seriously ill may require regular medication or other medical treatment. Some serious or chronic illnesses will require a prolonged hospital stay for a child. If this is the case, everything should be done to continue the child's educational suport in the hospital.

• Hepatitis B
• Meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Other conditions

How children with heath impairments differ:
The unique needs of children who have health impairments require that each child must be considered individually.
These children need to have constant assistance in most everything that they do. They have to always be attending to their health impairment. Depending on the severity of their impairment the severity it will way on their lives and the way they grow up.

Assistive Technology:

Hear are some potential classroom modifications for students with health problems:
Asthma- avoidance of allergens; participation in physical activity; administration of medication as needed.
Congenial heart disease- participation in physical activity; administration of medication as needed, diet or fluids.
Diabetes- Diet, bathroom frequency, availability of snakes and source of sugar; balance of exercise and food.
Leukemia- Participation in physical activity; exposure to communicable diseases.
Seizure disorder- participation in physical activity; environment; administration of medication if needed.
Spina bifida- Participation in physical activity; environment to accommodate mobility and movement; fluids; pressure relief.
Sickle cell anemia- participation in physical activity; fluids.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis- participation in physical activity; environment9stairs); administration of medication as needed; frequency of movement; classroom activities (writing, carrying books)
Hemophilia- physical activity
Cystic fibrosis- physical activity; administration of medication as needed; diet.

Organizations:

This site has many of the impairments listed above along with organizations and centers specific to each.


Kirk S. , Gallagher J.J. , Coleman M.R. , & Anastasiow N. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed. , pp. 403-447). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.