Ensuring your child’s health and safety is of utmost importance for
parents. If your child has a medical condition, developing an
Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) with the school could be as
important and necessary as the goals in the IEP. The way the IHP looks
may vary from school system to school system, but the information they
contain should be the same. The IHP should identify all health concerns
and needs, determine when and what medications the child may receive
while at school, what to do in case of a medical emergency, and create
solutions to possible problems. These can and should be developed for a
variety of conditions such as diabetes, seizures, severe allergies, and
asthma. Other possible concerns that can be added are toileting needs,
special feeding instructions, and training for staff. It may be
necessary to work with your doctor, as well as the school staff, to
create a complete and effective IHP. It is helpful for parents to think
about the things that need to be added in the IHP prior to the case
conference, and depending on the child’s condition(s) it may be
necessary to set up a time to work with the school staff on the IHP at a
separate time. For examples of an IHP visit:
http://www.pacer.org/health/samplehealthplans.asp
Another thing to consider when developing an IHP is how much school your
child may miss due to their health condition(s). If the amount of days
could become excessive, it would also be advisable to do a Certificate
of Incapacity. This is a form that the doctor will fill out and the
school will keep on file. It will protect the school, you and your child
from truancy concerns. A sample form can be found at
http://www.doe.in.gov/student-services/attendance/memos-and-forms or your teacher of record (TOR) can get you a copy.
There are many stressors when your child has a chronic illness that
require monitoring and managing. Talking about and thinking ahead of the
needs and possible concerns can help alleviate some of the stress, not
only for you and your child, but for the school staff as well. Being as
prepared as possible and knowing exactly what to do in case of emergency
can put everyone at ease so that your child’s school experience can be
productive and successful. Many of our Health Information Specialists
have IHP’s in place for their children. If you would like to speak to
someone who has personal experience with IHPs contact us today.
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