IEP : Health Domain

Completing an IEP Health Domain

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Being involved in the special education process can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to completing your sections of an IEP. But with a clearer understanding of what’s involved—and a few practical tips—you’ll feel confident and ready. Let’s start by tackling the Health Domain portion.                 

What is a Health Domain?

To understand the health domain, it helps to know a bit about the overall Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. An IEP is a formal document outlining goals and intended outcomes to support a student’s educational success. Before setting specific goals, a team assessment reviews different “domains,” or areas of development, to identify any factors that may impact learning. To learn more about the IEP process and how students qualify for services, sign up for this 1 hour continuing education course- IEPs & SCHOOL NURSES: AN ESSENTIAL BEGINNER BASICS COURSE.

The Role of the Health Domain in Special Education

A domain meeting is held as part of the IEP process, where each team member presents findings in their specialty area. This may include academics, social-emotional well-being, cognitive function, and more. The school nurse completes the Health Domain review. There are eight domains to review:

1. Academic Achievement
2. Functional Performance
3. Cognitive Function
4. Communication Status
5. Health
6. Vision and Hearing
7. Motor Ability
8. Social/Emotional Conditions

Based on the findings presented at the meeting, additional evaluations may be requested, pending parental consent. If the health-related findings suggest further assessments or accommodations might support the student’s learning, the nurse or another team member may recommend these additional evaluations. Any follow-up information gathered would then be presented at a future meeting. 

 

Who Completes the Health Domain?

Guidelines for completing health domains vary by state. For example, in Illinois, only a School Nurse holding a Professional Educator License (PEL) can complete the health section of the IEP. 

In Illinois school districts without a PEL nurse, a Registered Nurse (RN) may complete this work if they’ve passed the state-approved RN with IEP designation course offered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Be sure to check the requirements in your state to ensure compliance!

How & Why is a Health Domain Completed?

Completing the health domain involves a school health chart review and any registration health updates, a critical step for gathering student health information. During this review, school nurses document any relevant health diagnoses, medications, health action plans, and Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs) that may impact a student’s educational experience. This information will be presented at the Domain Meeting to help determine if further health evaluations are needed.

How The School Nurse Completes Health Domains

1. Print my calendar invitation to attend the meeting
2. Pull the school health chart for the student listed on the calendar invitation. I keep the invitation upright so I can see the date of the meeting and know that is my deadline to complete the domain paperwork by
3. Print this Health Domain Document- I'm old school & like to complete with paper and pen, but you could easily complete this electronically and just "make a copy" for each new meeting, ditch the lines & just type the information
4. Fill in the information listed on the Health Domain Document by completing a school health chart review
5. Enter my findings into my school district's web based special education system
6. Print a copy of the electronic report and file that along with my paper Health Domain Document into the student's school health chart

RESOURCES

IEPs & School Nurses- An Essential Beginner Basics Course Online, Anytime 1 CE Course- https://offers.theschoolnurse.llc/courses/offers/bf852f9f-0dfe-4aac-99b8-66c7ec05e62e

Teachers Pay Teachers Resources

Domain Paper- https://tinyurl.com/yxoqbvfp

Original IHP form- https://tinyurl.com/yydsyjfn

Updated IHP form- https://tinyurl.com/yyy35po9

FREE IEP Google Tracking Sheet - https://tinyurl.com/y52h2oyh

Resources

Students with Disabilities Receiving Special Services- https://tinyurl.com/qj27r94

IDHS IEP Overview- https://tinyurl.com/y33omz8m

Six Tips for Successful IEP Meetings- https://tinyurl.com/yyge35fe

Sage Abstract - https://tinyurl.com/yy79c3pb

School Nurse / Special Education & Reference Books- https://tinyurl.com/y3z8ch8e

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