Physically Impaired Otherwise Health Impaired (PIOHI)

          Welcome to the Physically Impaired Otherwise Health Impaired Department

The Physically Impaired/Otherwise Health Impaired program supports students who are assessed by a multidisciplinary team to determine if a student is qualified for special education services in their local school district. To qualify for Physically Impaired (PI) or Otherwise Health Impaired (OHI), the student has to have some type of physical impairment and/or health impairment that adversely affects his or her educational performance. A signed medical opinion form from the student’s physician/specialist is also requested when an IEP team is making a decision for a student that may need adult support.  Many of the students are referred from the Early On program.  The IEP team determines if adult support is needed for the student in the school environment. If the IEP team determines adult support is needed an HCA from the PI-OHI department is assigned to assist the student throughout their school day. Many PI-OHI HCA’s work with other students within a classroom and are trained to assist the PI-OHI student with learning independence within the school environment. 

PI-OHI HCAs work with many team members. An lEP team for students with physical impairments may include any or all of the following: PT, OT, Speech, VI-TC, School Nurse, Resource Teacher, General Education Teacher, SSW and/or School Psychologist. The PI-OHI HCA that is assigned to support a student is an integral part of the team because the HCA is working daily with the student and following the IEP goals that the team has determined are needed for the student's success. PI-OHI HCAs assist students who have personal care services in their IEPs. This may include assisting with any or all of the following needs:

• toileting, 
• assisting  with modifications/accommodations for the student of classroom work when needed or requested by the teacher 
• safely maneuvering the school environment, 
• transferring from wheelchair to walker or floor, 
• tube feeding, 
• administering medications, 
• tracking seizure activity and health checks per medical instructions
• scribing, 
• setting up a student's assistive technology, 
• following through with prescribed therapy goals as directed via therapist
• advocating for the student, and/or 
• stepping back so the student learns to be independent

Supervisor: Kathy Foote

Phone: 616-527-4900