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News Releases
Juvenile Arthritis and School:
Working Better, Not Harder
Columbia, Mo. (August 22, 2007) - At the end of a school day, the typical student may feel both body and mind are exhausted. But for over 285,000 children and teens, juvenile arthritis steals that youthful energy and ability to cope with the rigors of a school day.
Before your child walks into the classroom, meet with the teacher and school officials to discuss ways to make the most out of the child's school day. Addressing your child's needs and ways to overcome typical obstacles can help make this a great school year.
Margaret Lindsey, RN, director of the Southwest Regional Arthritis Center at the St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, Missouri suggests some ideas to talk over with your child's teacher:
- Writing, one of the most common classroom activities can be an obstacle for many students with JA. Here are some ideas that may enhance your child's ability to keep pace with academics. Use a fat or large pen to reduce stress and pain in the fingers and hand.
- For older students, use of a computer, cassette recorder, or a note taker can also be helpful. Ask if additional time for a writing assignments or tests to give your child time to rest his or her hand when it is necessary.
- When your child experiences a flare, ask if an alternate or modified lesson plan for physical education can be used to accommodate their condition that also include stretching exercises to reduce joint stiffness and pain.
- Ask if your child can take short rest periods to increase their stamina and class performance when they occasionally experience extreme pain or fatigue during a school day.
- Ask your child's teacher to use a pain code using a scale of zero to ten. Zero being no pain and ten being their worst pain. This will help the teacher understand your child's physical condition and respond appropriately to their needs.
- See if your child can get assistance carrying a tray, turning a door handle, opening a locker, turning on a faucet or even flushing a toilet.
- Sitting on the floor cross-legged or raising a hand may be hard for child, ask the teacher if there is another option.
- Find out if a desktop book holder can be used to make reading easier for your child.
- Can your child use a footstool to reduce discomfort while they are seated at a desk?
- To avoid stiffness and pain from being in one position for an extended period of time, ask if your child can more around periodically during the day to sharpen pencils or pass out paper to lessen the impact on those joints.
School is very important in your child's development. Make it a cooperative effort. Working positively with the teacher and school will enhance your child's experience.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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