If chronic health impairments and illnesses (such as juvenile diabetes, asthma, cancer) are your topic, please post the answers to the four questions here.
Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) 1)This disability is defined by the Federal Goverment as: An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgement; problem solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
2)Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month. Physical afflictions such as Parkinson's disease can be a lasting result of a traumatic brain injury.
3)Since students with TBI often find it hard to concentrate and pay attention, I would try to keep the area where they sit a place with little distraction, such as the same to be done with a student with ADHD. Using instructional strategies such as repetition of info just presented, as well as smaller workloads, can help a student with a traumatic brain injury. I would do everything I could to make the child's learning experience as comfortable as it could be, perhaps cooperating with the several assigned specialists that help work with the child in order to understand the extent of the injury, and what it allows the student to do in terms of in the classroom.
4)http://www.neuroskills.com/
This website was the one used for our class during our learning process about students with TBI. It contains a tremendous amount of information regarding the brain, and the different ways it can be victim to trauma.
-The services of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, and other specialized doctors. These are the members of a team which is dedicated and devoted to rehabilitating a student with a TBI, and cooperating with them could provide important information that I could use as an instructor to help a student.
-http://www.braintrauma.org/
The Brain Trauma Foundation was founded to improve the outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients by developing best practice guidelines, conducting clinical research and educating medical personnel. -http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Traumatic_Brain_Injury&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5633
The CEC provides great insight into what should be done as a teacher in order to help students with a TBI assimilate back into the classroom.
-http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/tbi.htm
This website discusses the Federal grants and funding programs available to those who suffer from a TBI
1) The federal government defines Diabetes as “a syndrome characterized by disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) resulting from either low levels of the hormone insulin or from abnormal resistance to insulin's effects coupled with inadequate levels of insulin secretion to compensate.” Juvenile diabetes is commonly referred to as “Type 1 Diabetes” and is specifically characterized by “a loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, leading to a deficiency of insulin. The main cause of this beta cell loss is a T-cell mediated autoimmune attack.
2) Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes are frequent urination (including bed wetting even after a child has been potty trained,) unusual thirst especially for sweet cold drinks, extreme hunger, sudden and often extreme weight loss, weakness and extreme fatigue, eyesight problems including blurred vision, irritability, acute symptoms of nausea and vomiting, and extreme and often undiagnosed cases, coma.
3) Unless other problems coexist, there is no reason a child with juvenile diabetes can’t be fully integrated into the classroom. There are however, as with any disability, levels of caution and varied approaches that should be administered. Because children with juvenile diabetes are often irritable and experience vision problems, I will sit these students at the front of the classroom and close to my desk. I will also have an inconspicuous means of allowing the child to be dismissed to use the bathroom, a signal of sorts that will allow the child to be discharged to use the bathroom. Furthermore, I will make sure the student takes his or her blood sugar levels and eats a snack at regular intervals dictated from the parents. I will also have sugary snacks available incase the student forgets their own. I will make sure the student eats healthy meals and that the cafeteria staff is informed of the situation. Finally, I will make sure the student is active and involved at both recess and gym. I will avoid adminstering recess detention as this will restrict their levels of activity and raise the risk of low blood sugar. As always, I will keep a watchful eye of the student and be aware of potential problems or concerns.
4) Resources I will utilize:
School Nurse/Principal/Substitute: The school nurse, principal, and any substitute or student teacher should be aware of the student’s distinct needs and be available for timely blood sugar tests.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: This website is a brief and effective description of what a care-taker needs to know and do when dealing with a student with juvenile diabetes. It includes tips, general and daily routines, and what to do in case of an emergency. I will be well versed in these steps. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103522 US Food and Drug Administration Website: This is another useful tool that explains strategies and tips in dealing with a student with juvenile diabetes. It stresses the importance of insulin, methods of procedure, and future technology regarding the issue. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/400_diab.html
Juvenile Diabetes Online Community: This is a community where parents and educators can exchange ideas and strategies. It is also a useful tool for explaining to a child what exactly the condition is. http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/index_cwd.htm
Childhood asthma, as defined by the state and federal government, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that is characterized by irregular episodes of wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness and coughing. In the United States asthma has become one of the most diagnosed chronic diseases in children and is one of the leading causes of disability in children. It is triggered by many different stimuli that activate an over-reactive airway system. The exact cause of asthma is not known, but a child may be more likely to get asthma if there have been prior cases in the family, if the child has allergies or if the child is over-sensitive to anything in the surrounding environment. Asthma is unfortunately is incurable but can be controlled. Every child's asthma is different. Some children have mild asthma, while others can have moderate to severe episodes of asthma. A child's asthma may change in time and sometimes children even outgrow asthma. Most children with asthma have early warning signs. These warning signs can include: *Breathing or heart beating faster than normal. * Breathing trouble, shortness of breath or claims of chest pain. * Coughing. A cough maybe constant or the child can experience coughing spells.* Drop in peak flow meter reading. (A peak flow meter is a small tube that a child blows into. It measures how well the child is breathing. ) A drop in peak flow may be the only warning sign for some children. * Restlessness or feeling anxious (fearful). * Tight feeling in the chest. * Tired. * Wheezing. Many times children with asthma have their activities limited because of their asthma symptoms. Nearly half of those diagnosed with asthma have been absent from school either once or for a number of days in the past school year. According to an article in Science News, “Children with the worst asthma symptoms often have more than one behavior issue, such as being nervous and having trouble focusing on tasks. All of these behavior problems can interfere with learning.” Children with asthma have been reported to have higher occurrences of ADHD, depression, anxiety and learning disabilities. Physical functioning is more so impaired either to the lack of treatment of asthma, or difficulty in treating these other impairments because of asthmatic interference. As a teacher in a general education classroom setting, different strategies would have to be used in order to better assist any children with asthma. I would have to ensure that the child and I have a proper understanding of what asthma is and its effects. A good relationship with the school’s healthcare physician would help the child in administering the medicines as intended. A discussion of how to properly administer the medicine would help in case the physician is not available, so in that way as a teacher I would be more aware of the situation and how to treat it. The classroom would become the least restrictive environment by eliminating anything that may trigger an asthma attack or make asthma symptoms worse. In case an asthma attack does occur an action plan would be at hand, in that way the child could be helped at any given moment. To better serve my students with asthmatic dysfunctions, I would resort to research and question any healthcare physician that would help increase my knowledge of this disease. Giving students access to websites like http://www.njc.org/disease-info/diseases/asthma/kids/wizard-index.aspx would help children to have a better understanding of asthma and what it means. It is a “wizard” that answers important questions on the topic in easy to read descriptions. Keeping up-to-date with the advances in the area through articles like http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071106140026.htm and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm would allow me to be more aware of the implications of having an asthmatic child in the classroom and reasons for given behaviors. The two articles in the links above discuss the likelihood of children with asthma having behavioral difficulties. Reading books like Catching My Breath by Tim Brooks would give me insight on how a person with asthma lives life. More information can be retrieved from sources like the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: http://www.aaaai.org ; Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: http://aafa.org
Childhood Cancers 1.) Under federal and state law, childhood cancers would be considered a health disability or health impairment. Therefore it is defined as follows: “health impairments means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that -
• Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, childhood cancers, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and
• Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that may affect any organ. The most common types of cancer in children are leukemia and lymphomas.
2.) Symptoms of cancer include, persistent cough or blood tinged saliva, changes in bowel movement, blood in your stool, unexplained anemia, a change in urination, blood in urination, headaches, and unexpected weight loss.
When receiving treatment children may feel tired, nauseous and too ill to profit from classroom instruction.
3.) For the most part unless cancer is severe, the child may remain active in school. When cancer is too severe as a teacher I may reach out to the child beyond the classroom, visiting the hospital sending assignments home, getting fellow classmates to make get well soon cards so the child receives support. I would also try to spend one on one time with the child getting them o express how they are feeling so they could feel comfortable in the classroom and know that more than a teacher I am also the friend.
4.) Resources within the school would be the school nurse, school counselor, and the psychologist. These resources would help the child deal with the situation, and may help me reach out to the child during this difficult time.
Websites I might use to help me become more knowledgeable in this area would be, www.cec.sped.org. This website was introduced to us in class but what some of us didn’t know is that it contains a division for physical and health disabilities. This website sends out newsletters that help stay up to date with laws and strategies pertaining to dealing with childhood cnacers in the classroom.
How would you implement a child with this disorder into a general education classroom? What accommodation and modifications would you give this child?
It is common for children with cancer to often have to miss a lot of school while being treated. As an educator, one should try to help the student progress academically by any means necessary. These children can keep up with work by enrolling in a home schooling program in which a teacher visits them at their home or hospital room, gives them assignments, and works with them individually. At times this is the best option when children are too sick to go to school even though it would be better for kids to go to school when they are well enough so that they can keep up with what their classmates are learning. By attending school children with childhood cancer also have opportunities for social interaction with their peers, and this can be a very important contributor to the child’s quality of life. If kids do attend school while on treatment they may look different from their peers and may also experience changes in the way they feel and in the way they act. As a teacher one has to ask what things can I do to make sure the child’s school needs are met? Such things include : -Scheduling a meeting with the school to determine a plan for meeting educational needs. This may involve a special education placement or an inclusion setting. If indicated, the school should help develop an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for the child. - If necessary further steps can be taken to ensure that the child continues to learn and do well in school. For example: • Testing without time limits. • Minimization of written work through oral demonstration of knowledge, including dictation of written assignments on audiotape. • Use of books on tape for children with reading comprehension and memory problems. • Assigning a peer to serve as a classroom aide.. • Modification of physical education requirements to address mobility Limitations. This will likely include creative strategies to provide opportunities for participation. • Use of “assistive technology” to provide educational supports. -Re-evaluate progress on a regular basis. Helping children treated for cancer requires careful monitoring and adjustment as accomplishments are achieved and new problems come up. - Working out ways to make sure that schoolwork continues, even when in the hospital. - Arrange for the child to visit with friends, and maybe even visit classmates in school. - Work with the school to develop a plan for school attendance whenever possible, and have homebound or hospital teaching available - Adjust the workload for the child so it is manageable. There should be expectations, but reasonable ones. - Making sure that as a teacher you know the specifics of what the child is going through. For example, what side effects to expect and how much school will be missed. - Arranging for a re-entry gathering with the classmates. A child with cancer can help teach classmates about the disease and its treatment. This would help because the children in the classroom learn about what is going on, and their apprehension is reduced. This usually reduces or eliminates teasing or any social problems for the child with cancer. In this way the child with cancer establishes himself/herself as an expert, not just a sick kid. -Conducting an evaluation before, during and after treatment. This assessment should include processes like Cognitive (IQ) and Academic Achievement (Reading, Math, and Writing), Memory (Verbal and Visual), Reading and Listening Comprehension, Attention and Concentration, in that way one can see where the child stands.
All of these things should be taken into consideration if the child is expected to succeed academically, emotionally and socially.
For further research please take a look at the website(s) below : * http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_when_your_child_goes_back_to_school.asp
How would you implement a child with this disorder into a general education classroom? What accommodation and modifications would you give this child?
Students with TBI definitely need special accommodations just for them to maximize their learning. It is possible for these students to be implemented into a general education classroom. There are many things that I, as a teacher, would do to assist children with TBI. First of all, I would make everything in class very clear and straight forward. Having outlines that explain what is going on will help students with TBI visualize and understand things a lot better. Rules and expectations would be clearly outlined. I would use teaching strategies that incorporate a lot of visuals and things such as graphic organizers and story maps. Students with TBI should also be taught memorization and organization strategies. As for the actual work, I would shorten homework assignments to cater to children’s shorter attention spans. Also, I would teach most of the intense work in the morning when these students are the most attentive and sharp. Students with TBI are definitely capable of being in a classroom with “regular” students. They just need more reinforcement and very straightforward explanations. With the strategies listed above, teachers can be sure that their students with TBI are reaching their maximum potential.
What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child?
Another resource within the school, I as a teacher could use for a child with asthma would be the school psychologist. An article by Jill Halterman, M.D. M.P.H., says, "The stress related to having asthma might contribute to behavioral problems because the family's focus on the medical issue may make managing behavior more difficult.” The condition also causes stress to the child and the child might let out this stress through disruptive behaviors, by using the school psychologist the child can be taught other effective ways of releasing stress. Resources- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm
What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child?
Another resource within the school, I as a teacher could use for a child with asthma would be the school psychologist. An article by Jill Halterman, M.D. M.P.H., says, "The stress related to having asthma might contribute to behavioral problems because the family's focus on the medical issue may make managing behavior more difficult.” The condition also causes stress to the child and the child might let out this stress through disruptive behaviors, by using the school psychologist the child can be taught other effective ways of releasing stress. Resources- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm
9 comments:
Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI)
1)This disability is defined by the Federal Goverment as: An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgement; problem solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
2)Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month. Physical afflictions such as Parkinson's disease can be a lasting result of a traumatic brain injury.
3)Since students with TBI often find it hard to concentrate and pay attention, I would try to keep the area where they sit a place with little distraction, such as the same to be done with a student with ADHD. Using instructional strategies such as repetition of info just presented, as well as smaller workloads, can help a student with a traumatic brain injury. I would do everything I could to make the child's learning experience as comfortable as it could be, perhaps cooperating with the several assigned specialists that help work with the child in order to understand the extent of the injury, and what it allows the student to do in terms of in the classroom.
4)http://www.neuroskills.com/
This website was the one used for our class during our learning process about students with TBI. It contains a tremendous amount of information regarding the brain, and the different ways it can be victim to trauma.
-The services of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, and other specialized doctors. These are the members of a team which is dedicated and devoted to rehabilitating a student with a TBI, and cooperating with them could provide important information that I could use as an instructor to help a student.
-http://www.braintrauma.org/
The Brain Trauma Foundation was founded to improve the outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients by developing best practice guidelines, conducting clinical research and educating medical personnel.
-http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Traumatic_Brain_Injury&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5633
The CEC provides great insight into what should be done as a teacher in order to help students with a TBI assimilate back into the classroom.
-http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/tbi.htm
This website discusses the Federal grants and funding programs available to those who suffer from a TBI
Juvenile Diabetes
1) The federal government defines Diabetes as “a syndrome characterized by disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) resulting from either low levels of the hormone insulin or from abnormal resistance to insulin's effects coupled with inadequate levels of insulin secretion to compensate.” Juvenile diabetes is commonly referred to as “Type 1 Diabetes” and is specifically characterized by “a loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, leading to a deficiency of insulin. The main cause of this beta cell loss is a T-cell mediated autoimmune attack.
2) Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes are frequent urination (including bed wetting even after a child has been potty trained,) unusual thirst especially for sweet cold drinks, extreme hunger, sudden and often extreme weight loss, weakness and extreme fatigue, eyesight problems including blurred vision, irritability, acute symptoms of nausea and vomiting, and extreme and often undiagnosed cases, coma.
3) Unless other problems coexist, there is no reason a child with juvenile diabetes can’t be fully integrated into the classroom. There are however, as with any disability, levels of caution and varied approaches that should be administered. Because children with juvenile diabetes are often irritable and experience vision problems, I will sit these students at the front of the classroom and close to my desk. I will also have an inconspicuous means of allowing the child to be dismissed to use the bathroom, a signal of sorts that will allow the child to be discharged to use the bathroom. Furthermore, I will make sure the student takes his or her blood sugar levels and eats a snack at regular intervals dictated from the parents. I will also have sugary snacks available incase the student forgets their own. I will make sure the student eats healthy meals and that the cafeteria staff is informed of the situation. Finally, I will make sure the student is active and involved at both recess and gym. I will avoid adminstering recess detention as this will restrict their levels of activity and raise the risk of low blood sugar. As always, I will keep a watchful eye of the student and be aware of potential problems or concerns.
4) Resources I will utilize:
School Nurse/Principal/Substitute: The school nurse, principal, and any substitute or student teacher should be aware of the student’s distinct needs and be available for timely blood sugar tests.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: This website is a brief and effective description of what a care-taker needs to know and do when dealing with a student with juvenile diabetes. It includes tips, general and daily routines, and what to do in case of an emergency. I will be well versed in these steps.
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103522
US Food and Drug Administration Website: This is another useful tool that explains strategies and tips in dealing with a student with juvenile diabetes. It stresses the importance of insulin, methods of procedure, and future technology regarding the issue.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/400_diab.html
Juvenile Diabetes Online Community: This is a community where parents and educators can exchange ideas and strategies. It is also a useful tool for explaining to a child what exactly the condition is.
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/index_cwd.htm
Childhood asthma, as defined by the state and federal government, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that is characterized by irregular episodes of wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness and coughing. In the United States asthma has become one of the most diagnosed chronic diseases in children and is one of the leading causes of disability in children. It is triggered by many different stimuli that activate an over-reactive airway system. The exact cause of asthma is not known, but a child may be more likely to get asthma if there have been prior cases in the family, if the child has allergies or if the child is over-sensitive to anything in the surrounding environment. Asthma is unfortunately is incurable but can be controlled.
Every child's asthma is different. Some children have mild asthma, while others can have moderate to severe episodes of asthma. A child's asthma may change in time and sometimes children even outgrow asthma. Most children with asthma have early warning signs. These warning signs can include:
*Breathing or heart beating faster than normal. * Breathing trouble, shortness of breath or claims of chest pain. * Coughing. A cough maybe constant or the child can experience coughing spells.* Drop in peak flow meter reading. (A peak flow meter is a small tube that a child blows into. It measures how well the child is breathing. ) A drop in peak flow may be the only warning sign for some children. * Restlessness or feeling anxious (fearful). * Tight feeling in the chest. * Tired. * Wheezing.
Many times children with asthma have their activities limited because of their asthma symptoms. Nearly half of those diagnosed with asthma have been absent from school either once or for a number of days in the past school year. According to an article in Science News, “Children with the worst asthma symptoms often have more than one behavior issue, such as being nervous and having trouble focusing on tasks. All of these behavior problems can interfere with learning.” Children with asthma have been reported to have higher occurrences of ADHD, depression, anxiety and learning disabilities. Physical functioning is more so impaired either to the lack of treatment of asthma, or difficulty in treating these other impairments because of asthmatic interference.
As a teacher in a general education classroom setting, different strategies would have to be used in order to better assist any children with asthma. I would have to ensure that the child and I have a proper understanding of what asthma is and its effects. A good relationship with the school’s healthcare physician would help the child in administering the medicines as intended. A discussion of how to properly administer the medicine would help in case the physician is not available, so in that way as a teacher I would be more aware of the situation and how to treat it. The classroom would become the least restrictive environment by eliminating anything that may trigger an asthma attack or make asthma symptoms worse. In case an asthma attack does occur an action plan would be at hand, in that way the child could be helped at any given moment.
To better serve my students with asthmatic dysfunctions, I would resort to research and question any healthcare physician that would help increase my knowledge of this disease. Giving students access to websites like http://www.njc.org/disease-info/diseases/asthma/kids/wizard-index.aspx would help children to have a better understanding of asthma and what it means. It is a “wizard” that answers important questions on the topic in easy to read descriptions. Keeping up-to-date with the advances in the area through articles like http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071106140026.htm and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm would allow me to be more aware of the implications of having an asthmatic child in the classroom and reasons for given behaviors. The two articles in the links above discuss the likelihood of children with asthma having behavioral difficulties. Reading books like Catching My Breath by Tim Brooks would give me insight on how a person with asthma lives life. More information can be retrieved from sources like the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: http://www.aaaai.org ; Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: http://aafa.org
Childhood Cancers
1.) Under federal and state law, childhood cancers would be considered a health disability or health impairment. Therefore it is defined as follows: “health impairments means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that -
• Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, childhood cancers, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and
• Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that may affect any organ. The most common types of cancer in children are leukemia and lymphomas.
2.) Symptoms of cancer include, persistent cough or blood tinged saliva, changes in bowel movement, blood in your stool, unexplained anemia, a change in urination, blood in urination, headaches, and unexpected weight loss.
When receiving treatment children may feel tired, nauseous and too ill to profit from classroom instruction.
3.) For the most part unless cancer is severe, the child may remain active in school. When cancer is too severe as a teacher I may reach out to the child beyond the classroom, visiting the hospital sending assignments home, getting fellow classmates to make get well soon cards so the child receives support. I would also try to spend one on one time with the child getting them o express how they are feeling so they could feel comfortable in the classroom and know that more than a teacher I am also the friend.
4.) Resources within the school would be the school nurse, school counselor, and the psychologist. These resources would help the child deal with the situation, and may help me reach out to the child during this difficult time.
Websites I might use to help me become more knowledgeable in this area would be,
www.cec.sped.org.
This website was introduced to us in class but what some of us didn’t know is that it contains a division for physical and health disabilities. This website sends out newsletters that help stay up to date with laws and strategies pertaining to dealing with childhood cnacers in the classroom.
Childhood Cancer
How would you implement a child with this disorder into a general education classroom? What accommodation and modifications would you give this child?
It is common for children with cancer to often have to miss a lot of school while being treated. As an educator, one should try to help the student progress academically by any means necessary. These children can keep up with work by enrolling in a home schooling program in which a teacher visits them at their home or hospital room, gives them assignments, and works with them individually. At times this is the best option when children are too sick to go to school even though it would be better for kids to go to school when they are well enough so that they can keep up with what their classmates are learning. By attending school children with childhood cancer also have opportunities for social interaction with their peers, and this can be a very important contributor to the child’s quality of life. If kids do attend school while on treatment they may look different from their peers and may also experience changes in the way they feel and in the way they act.
As a teacher one has to ask what things can I do to make sure the child’s school needs are met? Such things include :
-Scheduling a meeting with the school to determine a plan for meeting educational needs. This may involve a special education placement or an inclusion setting. If indicated,
the school should help develop an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for
the child.
- If necessary further steps can be taken to ensure that the child continues to learn and do well in school. For example:
• Testing without time limits.
• Minimization of written work through oral demonstration of knowledge,
including dictation of written assignments on audiotape.
• Use of books on tape for children with reading comprehension and memory
problems.
• Assigning a peer to serve as a classroom aide..
• Modification of physical education requirements to address mobility
Limitations. This will likely include creative strategies to provide
opportunities for participation.
• Use of “assistive technology” to provide educational supports.
-Re-evaluate progress on a regular basis. Helping children treated for cancer
requires careful monitoring and adjustment as accomplishments are achieved and new
problems come up.
- Working out ways to make sure that schoolwork continues, even when in the hospital.
- Arrange for the child to visit with friends, and maybe even visit
classmates in school.
- Work with the school to develop a plan for school attendance whenever
possible, and have homebound or hospital teaching available
- Adjust the workload for the child so it is manageable. There should be
expectations, but reasonable ones.
- Making sure that as a teacher you know the specifics of what the child is going through. For example, what side effects to expect and how much school will be missed.
- Arranging for a re-entry gathering with the classmates. A child with cancer can help teach classmates about the disease and its treatment. This would help because the children in the classroom learn about what is going on, and their apprehension is reduced. This usually reduces or eliminates teasing or any social problems for the child with cancer. In this way the child with cancer establishes himself/herself as an expert, not just a sick kid.
-Conducting an evaluation before, during and after treatment. This
assessment should include processes like Cognitive (IQ) and Academic Achievement (Reading, Math, and Writing), Memory (Verbal and Visual), Reading and Listening Comprehension, Attention and Concentration, in that way one can see where the child stands.
All of these things should be taken into consideration if the child is expected to succeed academically, emotionally and socially.
For further research please take a look at the website(s) below :
* http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_when_your_child_goes_back_to_school.asp
* http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/cfissues/backtoschool/backtoschool.html
How would you implement a child with this disorder into a general education classroom? What accommodation and modifications would you give this child?
Students with TBI definitely need special accommodations just for them to maximize their learning. It is possible for these students to be implemented into a general education classroom. There are many things that I, as a teacher, would do to assist children with TBI. First of all, I would make everything in class very clear and straight forward. Having outlines that explain what is going on will help students with TBI visualize and understand things a lot better. Rules and expectations would be clearly outlined. I would use teaching strategies that incorporate a lot of visuals and things such as graphic organizers and story maps. Students with TBI should also be taught memorization and organization strategies. As for the actual work, I would shorten homework assignments to cater to children’s shorter attention spans. Also, I would teach most of the intense work in the morning when these students are the most attentive and sharp. Students with TBI are definitely capable of being in a classroom with “regular” students. They just need more reinforcement and very straightforward explanations. With the strategies listed above, teachers can be sure that their students with TBI are reaching their maximum potential.
Asthma
What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child?
Another resource within the school, I as a teacher could use for a child with asthma would be the school psychologist. An article by Jill Halterman, M.D. M.P.H., says, "The stress related to having asthma might contribute to behavioral problems because the family's focus on the medical issue may make managing behavior more difficult.” The condition also causes stress to the child and the child might let out this stress through disruptive behaviors, by using the school psychologist the child can be taught other effective ways of releasing stress.
Resources-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm
Asthma
What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child?
Another resource within the school, I as a teacher could use for a child with asthma would be the school psychologist. An article by Jill Halterman, M.D. M.P.H., says, "The stress related to having asthma might contribute to behavioral problems because the family's focus on the medical issue may make managing behavior more difficult.” The condition also causes stress to the child and the child might let out this stress through disruptive behaviors, by using the school psychologist the child can be taught other effective ways of releasing stress.
Resources-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060206234144.htm
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