An estimated 10 to 15 percent of students in the U.S. are chronically absent from school each year, according to a 2012 study by Johns Hopkins University.
For children struggling with chronic health conditions, extended absences are largely unavoidable. But with scads of research linking chronic absence to lower literacy rates and higher dropout rates, experts say parents should take precautions to keep their children enmeshed in their classroom culture as much as possible.
Therese Weisbrot, a child life therapist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, walks parents through the process of fostering their children’s school connections — academic and social — during extended stretches of illness.
“Keeping your child thriving and treated is your first concern,” says Weisbrot. “Figuring out how to keep them engaged at school as well — it’s overwhelming for parents.”
A few key points to remember:
“Parents need to know the rights of their child under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, federal legislation under the Americans With Disabilities Act that protects the rights of children with disabilities or chronic medical conditions,” says Cynthia Devore, past chairwoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. “There are booklets and online links that spell out exactly what a child is entitled to receive from a school district. Depending on the reason for the absence, the child might be eligible, for example, to have tutoring within the home.” Start at idea.ed.gov
Don’t expect your child to keep up the pace of his or her peers. “Options parents might explore with school officials include determining whether the child is able to have extended time to complete assignments without penalty, decreased homework, course reduction, extended test time, a scribe or note-taker, access to class notes and many other educational adjustments that are available,” says Devore. “The goal would be to ensure that the child is not penalized for something beyond his or her control.”
Remember the fun parts of school. “The more social exchanges the child has, the better,” adds Devore. “When a child is too ill to have visitors, staying connected digitally, via texts and emails, for example, can be useful. Some teachers are highly sensitive to keeping children connected and engaged by sending home classroom cards, letters, school-made gifts, photos and other creative ways to make a child realize that they are still an active part of their school community. Again, technology can prove useful in schools that have the ability to connect a child with classmates via phone call or Skype.”
Finally, don’t try to shoulder the burden alone. “Reach out,” says Weisbrot. “I find that, more often than not, school systems are racing to ask, ‘How can we help?’ But if someone’s not offering help, ask for it.”
Superhero fights fears
Pediatric oncologist and mother of two Maitland DeLand watched patients and her own children struggle with the often scary and isolating treatment process. So DeLand co-authored a four-book series about a young superhero named Katie Kate who experiences similar challenges.
The “Great Katie Kate” series (“The Great Katie Kate Discusses Diabetes,” “The Great Katie Kate Tackles Questions About Cancer,” “The Great Katie Kate Offers Answers About Asthma” and the upcoming “The Great Katie Kate Explains Epilepsy”) takes readers on magical tours of the hospital and introduces them to other children facing illness and fears.
The books are intended for ages 4 and up and are available at amazon.com.
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