CDE Blank Default Post - When There Are No Closures or Notices
.
Other Health Impairment (OHI)
Definition:
Other Health Impaired (OHI) means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment due to a chronic or acute health problem, including but not limited to asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, leukemia, kidney disease, sickle cell anemia or Tourette syndrome.
These conditions alone do not qualify a child under the eligibility category of Other Health Impaired. There must be evidence of adverse educational impact because of the chronic or acute health problem that cannot be addressed by general education alone and, as such, requires specially designed instruction by a special educator.
CDE Guidance
National Resources
- Protecting Students with Disabilities - Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities (from the US Department of Education - Office of Civil Rights)
- Comprehensive Overview of Other Health Impairments - National Association of Special Education Teachers
- Other Health Impairment - Center for Parent Information and Resources
Related Disorders
Office Hours
Join Jody Dickerson, to get to know the Other Health Impairment (OHI) category a little better and become friends with it. OHI is just as important and valid as any other eligibility category—and it’s time we give it the attention it deserves.
Join the sessions to learn more about OHI, share your experiences, ask questions, and engage in meaningful conversation. Everyone is welcome!
Date and Times:
All sessions will be held from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
- Nov 12, 2025
- Dec 10, 2025
- January 14, 2026
- February 11, 2026
- March 11, 2026
- April 8, 2026
- May 13, 2026
Registration is required for all future sessions.
Long COVID
Definition: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines long COVID (also referred to as post-COVID conditions, long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, or chronic COVID) as "a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience four or more weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms in the days or weeks after they were infected can have post-COVID conditions. These conditions can present as different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time."
National Resources
- Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice jointly published a guidance document on “long COVID” as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
- Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families (July 26, 2021) – U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet
- CDC Post-COVID Conditions
- Kennedy Krieger Institute – Supporting a Student with Long-COVID
Questions?
For more information about Other Health Impaired, contact:
Jody Dickerson MN, BSN
Phone: 720.795.2273
dickerson_j@cde.state.co.us
Exceptional Student Services Unit
Having trouble with this webpage?
If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.