Physical health impairments, PHI, are another disability that might affect your family or those you know. To help me to understand the needs of those with PHI and in turn help me to be a better teacher and civilian, I wanted to do some personal research to what is more specifically entailed with those effected by PHI. The thing I found, in trying to better comprehend Physical Health Impairments, is that they effect individuals differently, so it is important to understand the individual’s history, needs, and desires. This means reading background information, consulting prior teachers/doctors/etc, and being ready to adapt new ideas to the classroom and home environments, so that the child can be included and prosper within the classroom as well as all areas of life. My experiences thus far with those with PHI have mostly been out in society and some in early intervention. I have found that I find it easiest to problem solve how to best help the individual by putting myself into their shoes. In early intervention, we primarily worked on exploring their home environments through textile play and promotion of using/building other muscles to promote overall movement, but as they grow older their needs evolve and can become more entailed. It is important to regularly revisit the goals for the individual and make sure that the goals are not only realistic but also true challenges that help broaden the child’s future. Because PHI is such a broad term, it is important to look at the individual and brainstorm their current challenges, future challenges, and the greatest way to minimize both of these. Here are some items to think about:
- Accessibility- what in their daily life might be hard to access
- Endless Possibilities- What are the dreams and hopes for this child
- Friendships- Who are they going to bond with and enrich themselves socially with
- Self-confidence- We could all use a little more and these kids especially need it
- Living Life- In the end it is most important that everyone lives their lives to the fullest with no regrets so help push them to reach those high goals and be the best version of themselves
I would love to hear more about your personal experiences, so feel free to leave a comment
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