Clinicians agree that return to school after diagnosis promotes the positive adjustment of children and adolescents with cancer; however, the school reentry process can present challenges. The aim of this review was to critically evaluate the literature on school reentry support for youth with cancer. Seventeen publications were identified. School reentry services were well-received by families and educators; increased teacher and peer knowledge about childhood cancer; influenced peer and educator attitudes toward the patient; and improved communication and collaboration between patients/families, school, and the healthcare team. Evidence supports a strong recommendation for school reentry support for youth with cancer.

This study aimed to define the current functions and operations of hospital school programs nationwide. A 56-item survey was disseminated to hospital teachers across the country to examine perceptions about their work, programs, and professional practice. Quantitative findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics at the individual item-level. Qualitative responses were categorized for thematic review and analyzed using an inductive approach. The final sample included 88 completed surveys. Findings were classified into three broad categories: hospital school programming, hospital school teachers, and hospital school instruction. Results revealed that great variability exists across hospitals. Differences were evident in how programs were staffed, funded, and how services are allocated to patients during hospitalizations. Findings will contribute to the establishment of best practices for hospital school programs.

The number of students with special healthcare needs (SHCN) and severe disabilities in public schools in the United States has steadily increased in recent years, largely due to the changing landscape of public health relative to advances in medicine and medical technology. The specialized care required for these students often necessitates complex coordination amonga large number of medical and educational service providers. While collaboration is critical in promoting appropriate academic progress for these students, school nurse reductions coupled with minimal teacher training in healthcare procedures leads to role confusion as school personnel attempt to meet the increasing demands of students with SHCN. Thus, this study examined the collaboration between the two most critical members of the team: the school nurse and the special education teacher. A 45-item survey on this collaborative partnership was completed by 76 school nurses working in public school settings. Results were consistent with existing literature, suggesting there are noteworthy aspects of the partnership between school nurses and special education teachers that are described as positive by school nurses; however, there are also many barriers that persist, resulting in fractured care for students with severe disabilities and SHCN. Recommendations for future collaboration and research are provided. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Objective Researchers have increasingly emphasized the need to include routine educational and cognitive screening in the care plan for youth with chronic health conditions. Prior to now, a screener did not exist to asses risk/need in education in the pediatric setting; thus, this research aimed to examine the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the newly developed Brief School Needs Inventory (BSNI), which stratifies a patients level of educational risk/need in the context of a health condition. Methods The authors developed and pilot‐tested two versions of an education risk screener utilizing a mixed‐methods design, which included an expert panel review process and assessments for validity, reliability, and feasibility. Results Ninety‐eight school‐age survivors of an oncologic disease were assessed for educational risk. Participants were assigned to two groups and administered either the initial (n = 48) or revised (n = 50) version of the screener. The final version of the screener, the BSNI, predicted educational risk in congruence with school liaisons perceived risk assessment with 94% accuracy. Liaisons also reported confidence in the results of 98% of cases for the BSNI. Similarly, expert panel results for the BSNI indicated a high degree of interrater agreement and content validity. Conclusions The BSNI was found to be a valid and reliable screener for predicting educational risk for youth with oncologic conditions; future studies will examine use of the screener within other pediatric chronic populations.

We suggest that adaptation to efficient, readable, and effective reports is possible within the practice of neuropsychology. Findings encourage replication in other settings. Through collaboration with key stakeholders, providers can identify their populations' and audience's unique needs and set report targets accordingly. To encourage that practice, we summarize our general process, provide a set of guidelines that can be adapted across multiple settings, and include an appended sample report.

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Despite the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions among youth in schools, teachers report little exposure to specific coursework focusing on how to best support students with these conditions in the classroom. This study examined how teacher preparation programs prepare educators to meet the needs of this growing student population; findings also include survey results describing level of preparation to support students with a chronic health condition from the perspective of preservice and practicing educators enrolled in the nation’s leading colleges of education. Results suggest that dedicated curriculum to prepare teachers to work with students with chronic health conditions is largely absent from teacher preparation programming, and that teachers feel they lack knowledge to adequately support students with a chronic health condition in the classroom setting. Recommendations and implications are discussed.