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What Does The Law Say About Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In School?
By: Renata Bursten, Dragonfly Staff

In the newest amendment to IDEA, passed in 1997, AD/HD is specifically mentioned under the category of "Other Health Impairment" (OHI). Check out the IDEA's definition of OHI in this short article.

There are many ways schools can help students with AD/HD. Some students may be eligible to receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
,Under the newest amendments to IDEA, passed in 1997, AD/HD is specifically mentioned under the category of "Other Health Impairment" (OHI). We've included the IDEA's definition of OHI below. Other students will not be eligible for services under IDEA. However, they may be eligible for services under a different law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In both cases, the school and the child's parents need to meet and talk about what special help the student needs.
,Most students with AD/HD are helped by supports or changes in the classroom (called adaptations). Some common changes that help students with AD/HD are listed in the article "Schooltime For Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder".
,IDEA's Definition of "Other Health Impairment"

Many students with ADHD now may qualify for special education services under the "Other Health Impairment" category within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA defines "other health impairment" as...

"...having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and adversely affects a child's educational performance."

Information adapted from a fact sheet by...
NICHCY - National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities,Published with permission.