Orthopedic Impairment - Columbia Regional Program

Orthopedic Impairment Services

Children and youth with an Orthopedic Impairment (OI) eligibility may have complex motor and communication needs that affect mobility, access, and participation across daily routines. Columbia Regional Inclusive Services partners with EI/ECSE programs and school districts to support these students from birth through age 21. Districts conduct OI evaluations and determine eligibility; once we receive a copy of the OI eligibility statement, our team can provide services.

woman at high school in a wheel chair using a communication device

Our focus is consistent across all models of support: increasing access, communication, participation, and independence so students can fully engage in learning and social experiences alongside peers. We collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams—including BLV and DHH specialists when students have CVI or deafblindness—to open pathways for communication, emergent literacy, and meaningful interaction.

REFER A STUDENT FOR EQUIPMENT OR AT/AAC Consult View our OI team - staff directory

Equipment Lending

We maintain a large lending library of motor and access equipment for students with complex physical needs. Schools can borrow equipment for trial or short-term use, helping teams determine what best supports access, safety, and participation.

Motor and AT/AAC equipment available for loan:

Gait trainers, walkers, and standers*
Positioning supports and mobility tools*
Transfer equipment such as portable lifts*
Adaptive seating and activity chairs
Adaptive tricycles*
Access-related AT including adaptive switches, switch-adapted toys/appliances, and mounting systems
AAC devices, mid-tech to high-tech (short-term trial only for eye-gaze and most dedicated SGDs)

Visit our searchable equipment catalog to browse the thousands of items available for loan.

Our team assists with equipment selection, trialing, and appropriate setup to ensure students can safely and effectively access their environments.

*Only a licensed PT can check out most motor equipment (gait trainers, standers, lifts, etc.)

AT & AAC Consultation

For students with an OI eligibility, we provide assistive technology (AT) consultation for students with complex motor needs, and/or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) consutlation for students with complex communication needs.

AAC Consultation for OI Students with Complex Communication Needs

Partner with school staffSupport for students who are non-speaking or hard to understand
Modeling and coaching for teams to implement robust communication systems
Access to mid- and high-tech AAC device trials, including eye-gaze systems

AT Consultation for OI Students with Complex Motor Needs

• Switch assessment and physical access evaluation
• Positioning and mounting solutions for reliable device use
• Integration of AAC and AT into daily routines and academic activities

Our goals are to build capacity among school and classroom staff so students with OI and complex, multiple disabilities can communicate with increasing skill and independence, access instruction and curriculum, form meaningful connections with peers, and participate in the same activities and routines at school as their typically developing peers.

Professional Development

Our OI team provide high-quality professional development to educators supporting students with complex motor and communication needs.

Regionwide professional development may include

AAC and communication partner strategies
Assistive technology for access and participation in play, academics, and more
How to assess students at the earliest developmental levels of communication (e.g., Communication Matrix)
Utilizing team-based processes to design effective AT/AAC interventions (e.g., SETT)
Comprehenisve, emergent literacy instructon for for students with extensive support needs
Adapting materials for access (e.g., adaptations for children with cortical visual impairment/CVI)

We provide custom district trainings by request

AAC training for specific groups (e.g., SLPs, paraeducators)
Modeling the SETT process to build independence among district staff
Coaching on setup and use of specific AT/AAC tools

Assistive Technology Professional Learning Community (AT PLC)

We host a regionwide Assistive Technology PLC group that meets every six weeks or so. The AT PLC is open to all school-based professionals with a special interest in AT/AAC for students with complex motor and communication needs. To add your name to our email list, contact Ruth McKee at rmckee@pps.net.

Orthopedic Impairment Eligibility Requirements

Orthopedic Impairment Eligibility Requirements

Orthopedic Impairment Eligibility in Oregon

OI evaluations and eligibility determinations are conducted by each of our districts independently. We ask for a copy of the current OI eligibility statement when students are referred to us for OI equipment and/or consultation.

Per Oregon Administrative Rule 581-015-2160, a child or youth may be eligible for special education under Orthopedic Impairment (OI) when they have a motor disability that significantly affects development (birth–5) or educational performance (ages 5–21). Motor disabilities may be associated with congenital conditions, injuries, neuromotor disorders, or other medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or traumatic injury.

OI eligibility is based on how the motor condition affects the child’s development or access to learning, not on a medical diagnosis alone.

Required Assessments

When a child is suspected of having an orthopedic impairment, Oregon requires a comprehensive evaluation that includes:

Medical Examination. Documentation of a medical examination from a licensed health professional that (a) identifies a diagnosis of an orthopedic or neuromotor impairment, or (b) provides a clear description of the child’s motor impairment.

Motor Assessment. A standardized motor assessment conducted by a specialist knowledgeable about orthopedic or neuromotor development. This must include:

Gross motor skills (e.g., posture, balance, mobility)
Fine motor skills (e.g., hand use, grasp, manipulation)
Self-help skills when appropriate (e.g., feeding, dressing, transfers)

Additional Assessments. Any other assessments needed to understand how the suspected impairment affects cevelopmental progress (birth–5) or educational performance (ages 5–21). Teams may also administer additional tools to clarify the child’s educational needs or access barriers.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify under Orthopedic Impairment, the evaluation team must document all of the following:

A motor impairment that results in deficits in quality, speed, or accuracy of movement. These deficits must be shown by:
- A score two or more standard deviations below the mean in fine motor, gross motor, or self-help skills, or
- Functional deficits in at least two of those three motor areas.
The condition is permanent or expected to last longer than 60 days.

Visit the Oregon Department of Education's Regional Inclusive Services (RIS) page for information on statewide Orthopedic Impairment services and links to the other. RIS across the state.