Orthopedic Impairment

What is it?

Orthopedic impairment is considered to be a severe orthopedic impairment that negatively affects a student's educational performance. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), orthopedic impairment encompasses a wide variety of disorders. The characteristics of a specific individual will depend on the severity of a specific disease. These diseases/disorders can be organized into three main categories:

1. Neuromotor Impairments - damage to the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system that can result in complex motor problems.

2. Degenerative Disease - affect motor development. The most common found in school population is muscular dystrophy.

3. Musculoskeletal Disorders - conditions that result in various levels of physical limitations. Two examples would be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or limb deficiency.

What does this look like in the classroom?

Students with orthopedic impairments generally do not have any cognitive impairments, so it is imperative that the general education teacher and special education teacher work together to allow the student to be in the general education classroom as much as possible. For students with orthopedic impairments, many accommodations can be made to allow the student to be in the least restrictive environment. Special seating arrangements can be used to help develop posture and movements. The general education teacher will need to be aware of the medical condition and how it affects the particular student. Also, instruction may need to be focused on the development of gross and fine motor skills.

Assistive technology may also be needed to support the student's success. In supporting access to educational material, assistive technologies may include screen reading software, talk to text or alternate communication devices. Technologies needed can be determined based on the student's needs. Other assistive technologies needed can help with mobility. These technologies may include a cane, walker, wheelchair, specialized exercise equipment, or specialized seating to help with posture.

As with all students with disabilities, each individual is different and will need accommodations specific to them to allow them to be successful in an educational setting. With the wide variety of disorders that fall under the orthopedic impairment umbrella, other specialists may need to be included to create a plan that will be most affective in supporting the student. These specialists can include physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and many others.