When Your Child Can't Attend School
Research suggests that long-term survivors who attended school during treatment have better social skills, more self-confidence and are less likely to have academic problems than children in homebound programs. Therefore, your child should attend school whenever possible.
In reality, many children with cancer frequently miss school because of treatment, complications or compromised immunity. If that's the case for your child, check into homebound tutoring, a special service provided by school districts, or a private tutor, for students who must be absent from school for an extended time. Your child remains enrolled in school while in the homebound program and is ultimately expected to return.
Schools administer homebound programs in different ways, so it is important to know exactly what your school can provide. Most students benefit from 'intermittent' home-tutoring, which means your child attends school when he can and is tutored at home when he cannot. You may have to explain intermittent home-tutoring to the school counselor or person arranging the tutoring. However, intermittent homebound instruction may not be right for every child and may not be available in every school district. Explore the options with staff from your child's school and the hospital-based education program.
While your child is an inpatient, the hospital's educational coordinator can assist her with academics. The education consultants can also help when your child is an outpatient.
Missing school means missing the important lessons in socialization that school provides. Here are some ways to help your child stay socially involved during absences:
- Work with the school to have your child present on special days, such as holiday parties and 'spirit' days.
- Encourage classmates to send cards, letters and pictures. Set up a collection box at school to make it easier for friends to contact your child.
- Stay connected to classmates through e-mail. Encourage your child's teacher and class to initiate this.
- Help your child set up a Web site to keep others updated on how he is doing. You can create a page for your child through the Care to Share Cancer Connection message board found at The National Children's Cancer Society's Web site.
- Encourage your child to call or write letters to friends.
- Invite friends to visit and play. It is important that your child continue to be a kid.
