How to Work with the School When Your Child Has a Chronic Illness

Children are in school a big part of each day. Any child with special needs, no matter how big or small, may need some accommodations to help them through the school day. The goal is to create a positive, stress-free educational environment for every student. There are general ideas for working with the school system in order to ensure your child learns in the best setting possible.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Write down a list of daily activities your child struggles to accomplish on her own. Decide which of these she will need to do during a typical school day, and consider what changes the school could make to accommodate her needs.
2. List any medicines your child will need to take during the school day. If he does not require medicines during the day, give a list of medicines he is taking at home so that school nurses will have a better idea of what he can or cannot take in addition to these, if needed.
3. Contact the school's principal to introduce your concerns and what the school might be able to do to address these.
4. Find someone from the school to be your primary contact, possibly your child's teacher or a guidance counselor.
5. Keep track of all meetings you have with the school and what was decided at each of them. Send a letter after each meeting to summarize the discussion for everyone involved.
6. Look into Individualized Education Plans and Section 503 Plans in case these are appropriate for your child now or down the road. These are more formal documents with certain requirements. Whether you choose a more informal or formal plan depends on your child's individual needs.
7. Let the school know any time your child's needs change for any reason, and encourage school staff to communicate their concerns with you.

Tips & Warnings

• Have someone with you at your meetings with the school. It is easy to forget what was discussed, so having a family member or friend with you helps keep track of all that was discussed.