Helping children cope at school
The important things to remember are that you: share information, develop a care plan, keep up good communication, make changes where necessary and seek extra support.
Beginning primary school, or moving to secondary school, can be a challenging time for any student and family. This can be even harder when the student has a chronic (ongoing) health condition. To get the most out of their schooling, students with a chronic illness need ongoing and coordinated support from their families, schools and medical carers.
Chronic illnesses are usually associated with older people and not with children. However, a small but significant number of children in Australia suffer from chronic illnesses – mainly asthma, but also diabetes and cancer. Cerebral palsy, epilepsy and cystic fibrosis, along with musculoskeletal disorders and illnesses affecting sight, hearing and allergic reaction affect smaller numbers of children.
Students with a chronic illness may miss a lot of school. This might be because they need to go to hospital, recover at home or attend regular medical appointments. This can lead to: difficulty completing work on time or taking part in exams, decreased academic performance, difficulty keeping up relationships with school friends, difficulty getting around the school environment, difficulty participating in some school activities (for example, physical education or excursions), feeling less confident and less motivated, also possibly affecting self-esteem and body image.
The family and the school need to work together to establish and maintain good communication and cooperation. Everyone needs to understand what is needed and expected to support your child. The family and the school also need to be clear about what can, and cannot, be done so that everyone’s expectations are achievable and realistic.
The important things to remember are that you: share information, develop a care plan, keep up good communication, make changes where necessary and seek extra support.
You and your child should decide what information about your child’s condition should be shared with appropriate school staff.
In consultation with your child’s doctor, family and school principal, a school-based care or management plan should be developed. This plan should be accessible to relevant staff and reviewed every year, or whenever there is any significant change to your child’s condition or treatment.
Make sure that relevant information is communicated to casual teachers and other staff who have occasional care of your child. The plan should also indicate which school staff will be responsible for carrying out certain tasks and what to do in case of emergency.
The physical environment may need to be modified to allow full access to school facilities and activities for children with chronic illness. For example, ramps, rails, adaptive equipment or disabled toilets may be needed.
The academic environment may also need some changes. For example, adapting the curriculum, work requirements, timetable or subject choices might be necessary for your child. For VCE students, you should work out whether the school will need to apply for special provision on behalf of your child.
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