School Attendance
Why Should Kids with Chronic Illnesses Go To School?
In our society, we are used to taking care of people who are sick by suggesting
they go to bed, get plenty of rest, and take care of themselves until their health
returns to normal. For children with chronic illnesses, that may not be possible.
Their illness, or diagnosis, may last several years or for their entire life.
For a child with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, many types of cancer, asthma or other
chronic diagnoses, the best plan is to help them learn to live with their illness.
Future success and adjustment may be determined by how successful the young person
is in making their diagnosis just another aspect or characteristic of who they are.
Kids with chronic illness must work hard to figure out how to continue with normal
activities of daily life. Time in the hospital, doctors visits, not feeling well
and many other events can interrupt school attendance.
Some kids say they feel frustrated when they try to go back to school, because they
are behind their peers in their academic work. Sometimes kids with chronic illnesses
feel isolated, and wonder if their friends still want to spend time with them. They
may worry about being teased when they go back to school, or feel uncomfortable
if they feel they look different than they did before. Whatever the reasons, it
is often difficult to go back to school when a child has a chronic illness.
School is Good for Sick Kids
We do know, however, that being back in school is very good for a child with a chronic
illness. School may be the place where a chronically ill child can experience success
and achievement, and can focus on the things they can still do, instead of the things
that may be limited or changed by the illness. For example, if a student with sickle
cell anemia has to give up playing football, he may be able to focus his energies
on academic subjects. Or, a student with cancer may need to limit physical activities
for a period of time, but may continue to excel in the classroom or in art or music.
Some researchers have even found that involvement in school can help a young person
ignore or minimize his/her physical symptoms and focus on the positive aspects of
life. Involvement with school, friends and activities can be “just what the doctor
ordered” for a child with a chronic illness!
In addition, children with chronic illnesses need empathy, not sympathy. They need
people to understand the challenges they face and provide the necessary support,
rather than feeling sorry for them because they are sick. Being in school can help
return the child with a chronic illness to a sense of normalcy.
If children with chronic illnesses do not have an appropriate education, they will
not be prepared to be successful adults. The school experience of a chronically
ill student will be filled with challenges, but success at school can be achieved.
Not only is it the right thing to do, schools are legally required to provide appropriate
education for every child. Legislation tells us that we must be sure to provide
kids with chronic illnesses with a free appropriate education and that we must not
discriminate against them on the basis of their disability.
For more information, please contact:
Kathy Davis, MSEd, PhD
kdavis2@kumc.edu
(913) 588-6305