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News Releases
Juvenile Arthritis and School:
Getting There is Half the Battle
Columbia, Mo. (August 29, 2007) - Getting a child off to school in the morning can be a daunting process for parents. But if you have a child with juvenile arthritis (JA), that process can be more difficult when your child starts their day with stiffness, pain, fatigue and swelling.
"Children with JA need more time in the morning to prepare for school but also need a good night sleep," says Margaret Lindsey, RN, director of the Southwest Regional Arthritis Center at the St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, Missouri. "Make sure your child goes to bed early, and gets up early enough to take a warm bath or shower then eats breakfast with their medicines. This will allow them to loosen their joints plus help the medicines take affect. If necessary they could take a few minutes to rest before starting their school day."
By the time a child with JA arrives at school and spends the rest of the day navigating through the rigors of schools, the physical toll on their body can be overwhelming. By eliminating or easing a few of their daily obstacles your child can maximize their school day and minimize discomfort.
"When necessary a child with JA should take a 10 minute rest period by going to the nurse's office to stretch out," says Lindsey. "This will rest both the joints as well as the immune system."
Here are some important issues to discuss with your child's teacher and school officials that can improve their schoolwork.
- Ask if your child can have a little extra time to pack-up and travel between classes or to catch a school bus.
- Ask for class and locker locations in close proximity to one another to shorten the travel distance.
- Can your child use an elevator or could the school minimize the need to use stairs?
- Ask if an extra set of books can be kept at home to eliminate the need to carry them between home and school.
- Can a copy of the book be kept in the classroom to minimize the books your child carries between classes?
- Standing and waiting for long periods is hard for children with JA, ask if your child can be place in the front of a line to make the task easier.
- Let your child's teacher know that a little extra space around your child's desk will make it easier for your child to get up and down from the seat.
- Exposure to cold weather can make your child's symptoms worse, so ask the school if an alternate indoor plan can be used for cold days.
Finally, remember that attendance is key to any student's academic success. As a parent, make regular attendance and participation in all classroom activities a priority for your child. Work with your child's school to minimize tardiness, absences and missed work due to morning stiffness, flares or doctor's appointments.
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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