Eligibility for Special Education under designation of Other Health Impaired

The Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) define eligibility for special education services within thirteen categories of disability.

MARSE

R 340.1702 Student with a disability defined.
Rule 2. “Student with a disability” means a person who is determined by an individualized education program team or a hearing officer to have 1 or more of the impairments specified in this part that necessitates special education or related services, or both, who is not more than 25 years of age as of September 1 of the school year of enrollment, who has not completed a normal course of study, and who has not graduated from high school. A student who reaches the age of 26 years after September 1 is a “student with a disability” and entitled to continue a special education program or service until the end of that school year.

R 340.1709a Other Health Impairment explained; determination.
Rule 9a. (1) “Other health impairment” means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, which results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment and to which both of the following provisions apply:

(a) Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as any of the following:
(i) Asthma.
(ii) Attention deficit disorder.
(iii) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
(iv) Diabetes.
(v) Epilepsy.
(vi) A heart condition.
(vii) Hemophilia.
(viii) Lead poisoning.
(ix) Leukemia.
(x) Nephritis.
(xi) Rheumatic fever.
(xii) Sickle cell anemia.

(b) The impairment adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

(2) A determination of disability shall be based upon a comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary evaluation team, which shall include 1 of the following persons:
(a) An orthopedic surgeon.
(b) An internist.
(c) A neurologist.
(d) A pediatrician.
(e) A family physician or any other approved physician as defined in 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.1101 et seq.