Orthopedic Impairment (OI)

According to the Texas Education Agency (2019) an Orthopedic Impairment refers to "a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures)."

Common traits/characteristics 

• Paralysis

• Poor muscle control

• The loss of a limb, which affects the day-to-day activities of the student

• This may be congenital or acquired

Educational challenges:

The student's disability may interfere with a student's ability to:

• Physically walk/run

• Write or complete tasks that use fine motor skills

• or to complete any physical activities in the classroom setting

Tips/ recommendations for teachers:

• The teacher can provide seating accommodations to aid the student's specific needs

• The teacher can help by developing specific activities that target fine motor skills

• The teacher can also provide tools and technologies to best support the student. (This may include pencil grips, word processors, and more)