Medical conditions develop at every age, and unfortunately, this includes childhood. Chronic illnesses affect about 25 percent ofAmerica children, while about 27,000 children are diagnosed with a life-threatening condition annually. During a time in their lives when they should attend school, play sports, and engage with peers, these children face everyday difficulties that may get bad enough that it affects their schoolwork or prevents them from attending school at all. 

Chronic Versus Life-Threatening Illnesses

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitles students to educational support when they meet certain criteria. This allows children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions to receive adequate assistance when their illness interferes with their education. 

Chronic illnesses do not always have a cure and tend to persist throughout a person’s life. The most common pediatric chronicconditions are asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and food allergies, which are not fatal conditions when they are well-managed. Although some chronic conditions are manageable, students can experience difficulties and complications both before and after their diagnosis. Life-threatening illnesses are chronic diseases that do not have a cure. Types of pediatric cancer are the most common life-threatening illnesses among children. 

Any disease or illness listed above could lead to a child’s hospitalization before diagnosis, during treatment, or if accidents occur. Doctor’s appointments, treatments, and recovery time are only a few reasons why ill students miss school. They may also need certain medications and other treatments when they return to school. For this reason, children with chronic conditions and life-threatening illnesses have access to necessary accommodations.

5 Tips for Helping Students Stay on Track

Parents often feel helpless when their child falls behind, becomes isolated from classmates, and spends long periods in the hospital. Luckily, you can do many things to help your child stay on track with their schoolwork while making their recovery the primary focus.

1. Plan ahead

Creating a plan for your child’s education will significantly reduce both your stress and your child’s stress. If your child misses school at any point, ask your child’s doctor how much they will miss and if their treatment will affect their concentration, homework, and ability to meet deadlines once they return. 

You should also work with your child’s teacher(s) to make the transition back into the classroom as seamless as possible.Teachers and administration can reduce their schedule or assign different due dates for papers, tests, and projects. 

2. Use the Available Resources

Public schools have many resources for children with health conditions that affect their schoolwork. You should ask about theresources available to your student. They may qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at no cost. Teachers, specialists, and counselors create IEPs, including customized goals and learning strategies, for students that need them.

Your child may also be eligible for a 504 Education Plan, which offers them physical accommodations to help them maneuver between classrooms, access bathrooms, and find special transportation. 504 Plans are available to children who have difficulties walking, breathing, eating, sleeping, standing, bending, lifting, and other difficulties that may affect theirschoolwork. 

Examples of accommodations in 504 plans are preferential seating, extended time on tests and assignments, reduced homework or classwork, adjusted class schedules, and excused lateness, absence, or missed classwork. In addition to IEPs and 504 plans, your child can work with a tutor to fill potential gaps in their curriculum from missed school days.

If your child has been hospitalized or confined to your home, contact the Special Services Office in your school district once the doctor says your child is well enough to return to school. 

3. Surround Students with a Support System

Support systems are a necessary part of the recovery process. This includes not only the student’s friends, classmates, and teachers but also nurses, social workers, school aides, and additional people with resources that can help your child recover and return to school.

If your child is hospitalized, maintaining ties with classmates, friends, and teachers goes a long way in your child’s recovery and transition back to school. When a child is absent for an extended period, it is easy for them to feel disconnected from school and friends, which can lead to depression and anxiety. There are many ways for children to stay connected throughout the process, including online social networking sites, email, instant messaging, texting, and talking on the phone. Arrange visits with your child’s friends, when and if your child is feeling well enough.

4. Explore Alternative Education Methods

If your child must be away from school for an extended period, you may want to explore alternative education methods, such as homeschooling or online school. These schooling methods can give your child the flexibility to study and complete schoolwork when and where they feel their best.

Homeschooling is parent-led, so you can structure curriculum around your child’s treatment schedule and recovery time. Online schools allow students facing medical challenges to have self-paced courses, which let them work when they feel well and take breaks when they don’t. Online school also lets students“attend” class anywhere they have Internet access.

Some children’s hospitals provide onsite schooling with classrooms in the building where students can attend lessons. Bedside lessons may be available for children who are too ill to leave their hospital room. These hospitals have teachers and social workers that work with the child’s school to maintain the curriculum and create IEPs and 504 plans, as well as arrange for in-home instruction and gradual re-entry into the classroom.

5. Create a Plan for When the Students Returns to School

All of these resources help parents focus on their child’s wellbeing first and schoolwork second. However, as a child progresses through the recovery process, it will come time to be reintroduced into the classroom. Most students will need a gradual introduction back into their classroom routine to avoid becoming too tired. Students with chronic health conditions can perform as normal if their needs are met, so reach out to the school’s resources before they return.