Students with Special Health Care Needs

Individualized Health Care Plans

“…For example, the population of children with tracheostomies is growing (Peterson-Carmichael & Cheifetz, 2012) as a result of prematurity, injuries, and chronic conditions (Spratling, Minick, & Carmon, 2012). However, while these children may require specialized technological health care procedures and/or health support during the school day, they do not necessarily require special education services (Sirvis, 1989). As noted by Pitchford, Johnson, Scerif, and Marlow (2011), developmental delays often follow preterm birth; however, this does not necessarily mean that every child born prematurely will have developmental delays.…”

Providing Education to Students With Complex Health Care Needs

“…Consequently, classroom teachers are routinely performing such procedures in their classrooms (Mulligan Ault, Guess, Stroth, Thompson, 1988). Sirvis (1988) has pointed out, however, that in most cases even the most skilled special education teacher may be hesitant to provide for students with special health care needs.…”

Opening the Door Further: Integrating Students with Complex Health Care Needs

“…We have known that changes in educational trends would result in inclusion of students with greater diversity, including those considered to be medically fragile or having special health care needs (Lehr & Noonan, 1989;Sirvis, 1988). These include children who present medical needs that are more intense than those which have been traditionally dealt with in schools.…”

“…Changes in medical technology are enabling children with medical complications to survive newborn or posttraumatic periods. Sometimes, however, survival is accompanied by the ongoing need for intensive health care services (Lehr, 1990a;Lehr & Noonan, 1989;Sirvis, 1988). A second source is our generally increasing practice of normalizing lives for student through the specific practice of including students with more severe disabilities into general education settings (Stainback & Stainback, 1992).…”