Health Impairment

This page presents the current legal definition of health impairment according to Massachusetts special education law.

This website provides resources and information for parents of children with special health care needs facing a transition. Tips for navigating and preparing in advance for transitions with children of all ages into school and older children into adulthood are offered. No matter the child’s specific health-related challenges, properly informed parents and their children will benefit from a team effort in making transitions as smooth as possible.

This site gives a great overview of what is considered a health impairment, specific health impairments, and how to address them, especially in the context of school. Information about accessing services to help children with health impairments is also provided, which makes this a great introductory source for parents and educators.

This fact sheet presents information about the definition and services guaranteed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The characteristics of the specific different disabilities mentioned in the IDEA definition are listed with links to other resources and organizations for each one. While this document is 10 years old and statistics may vary today, it gives an easy-to-digest overview of health impairments, how they impact children's time at school, and medical issues and transitions to prepare for as parents and teachers.