According to NASN, an IHP is “a written document that outlines the provision of student healthcare services intended to achieve specific student outcomes.” These documents are created for students whose academic performance or school attendance is affected by their healthcare needs.
An IHP gives the school all the important and necessary information about your child, identifies and documents your child’s health needs (and how to manage them at school), creates health-related goals, documents interventions and solutions to potential health problems that may occur while your child is at school, and develops a thorough plan to train staff, address medical emergencies, and provide a safe environment in which your child can thrive.
An IHP is also intended to help communicate your child’s specific health care needs to the people who support them at school: administrators, regular and special education teachers, therapy providers, health assistants, substitute teachers, and parents. An IHP is a great way to make sure the school staff is informed about your concerns and that plans are in place to address the unique health needs of your child. This could include how medication will be administered, what and when your child should self-report, how their health will be monitored, and who the go-to person will be.
For more information, see our article Individualized Health Plan (IHP).
