How to Educate Children With Spina Bifida
Spina bifida, a disabling birth defect that affects the brain and spinal column, can be a profound challenge when it comes time to educate a child. Since the continual medical attention is often required, it may be difficult to place children with spina bifida in a typical classroom environment.
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Instructions
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Evaluate the children physically and psychologically. Spina bifida may cause many physical conditions, such as incontinence, hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and orthopedic disorders that may disrupt a classroom and frighten other children. This can be unfortunate, since many children with spina bifida exhibit intelligence and a strong desire to learn.
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Monitor the child's health. Academic performance can be affected by many symptoms of spina bifida, such as the severity of hydrocephalus, central nervous system infections and the general level of functioning of the spinal cord. Maintaining the physical health of a child with spina bifida will greatly enhance academic performance.
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Give the child the aids and tools that will allow them to complete their work. Spina bifida can severely affect motor skills, and some students may require special computer keyboards or even an aide to transcribe assignments for them.
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Ask a school to provide an individualized education program (IEP) for children with milder cases of spina bifida. This allows children with the disorder to socialize with unimpaired children, which may be a source of motivation. An aide will have to be assigned to monitor bladder and bowel control and possibly to manage the shunt that is used to drain fluid from the brain.
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Address all additional concerns. These may include hyperactivity, depression, memory loss, poor organizational skills and even attention-deficit disorders. Frequent meetings with school psychiatrists, pediatricians and parents should address these common problems so that they do not interfere with the child's education.
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Tips & Warnings
Children with spina bifida need physical exercise. Encourage them to roll, turn and even perform somersaults if they are able. These activities will improve their motor skills.
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Comments
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paborman
Sep 07, 2010
I was born with spina bifida of a level of serious between the top worst levels of defect. The only problems that I have had involve idiotic teachers and journalists writing informational articles with titles like "spina bifida is a disabling disease." I run, lift weights, have three graduate degrees and no motor problems other than a slightly numb foot. But, I dealt with people writing these all inclusive headlines all my life. Those of us born with the serious levels whom have no complications are a minority; however we are a substantial minority who tend to stay quiet because of this irresponsible crap. Please clarify this headline before another lamebrained teacher tries to take a student out of the gifted program and into special education- a nice trick that happened to me in three different schools.
