ABSTRACT
Health impairments include asthma, epilepsy, congenital heart condition, cystic fibrosis and diabetes. While these have implications individually, something can also be said about health impairments generally. The impact of health impairment varies from time to time because of variations in the student's condition and owing to different demands of the curriculum or the learner's peer group. Therefore educational provision needs to be responsive to changes in the student's physical and motor abilities. Provision should also be sensitive to the physical, psychological and any other effects of the condition. Particular requirements arise such as, for an individual with epilepsy, having a structured framework and routine in which to locate information to help the student with information processing. Medical intervention can include surgery to try to correct the abnormality or improve function, as with a congenital heart condition. Teachers and assistants who regularly carry out specialised healthcare procedures, such as clean intermittent catheterisation will require regular and up-to-date training, and technical assistance.
