School reentry services for students with chronic health conditions: An examination of regional practices

Abstract

Students experiencing chronic health difficulties represent a growing population in public schools. Given the unique challenges faced by these students including increased absences, resulting academic, and social/emotional/behavioral deficits, it is vital that schools are prepared to adequately meet their needs. One of the sometimes daunting tasks faced by these students and their families is the school reentry process, which occurs when the child returns to school following an extended period of time away. The purpose of the current study was to identify and evaluate the extent to which these services are currently being provided within school districts across a large Southeastern state. Results demonstrated that, although schools reported proficiency in the provision of formal school services, adherence to other best practices in school reentry, namely establishing multidisciplinary school reentry teams led by an appointed liaison, developing school reentry protocols and subsequent individualized reentry plans, sharing information with the student's peers, and formally assessing the student prior to or upon reentry, was lacking. Implications for schools and areas for future research are also discussed. K E Y W O R D Spediatric school psychology, school reentry, students with chronic health conditions

A systematic review of the educational experiences and needs of children with cancer returning to school

“…Many children with cancer are living, surviving and studying in different environments (Boles et al, 2017;Schilling & Getch, 2018). During cancer treatment, children usually receive educational support in alternative settings such as home or hospital (Boles & Winsor, 2019).…”

“…Therefore, for children with cancer, one of the greatest educational and social challenges are returning to school after multiple or prolonged absences (Boles et al, 2017;Chen et al, 2015;Choquette et al, 2016). According to Schilling and Getch (2018), 'school re-entry refers to the return to school and reintegration into the school setting following diagnosis, prolonged hospitalization, and/or general time away from school' (p. 2).…”

Marfan syndrome.

“…Teachers may need to develop lessons in advance if a child needs to be hospitalized for an extended period of time, and in some cases, homebound education might be necessary. Educational and health plans may include accommodations for modified or alternative physical education and should discuss how the educational team will address extended absences due to medical complications (Schilling & Getch, 2018).…”

“…Research also suggests that school personnel are often unprepared to address the needs of children with chronic health conditions. Schilling and Getch (2018) reported that only 44% of surveyed special education directors received formal training in meeting the needs of students with chronic health conditions, and they argued that more in-service training in this area is necessary. These trainings may be necessary for schools with students diagnosed with Marfan syndrome.…”

Generation Interrupted: Rethinking “Students with Interrupted Formal Education” (SIFE) in the Wake of a Pandemic

“…Likewise, Tsimicalis et al (2018) documented the compounding academic and social adversities faced by students returning to school after long-term cancer treatment. Although careful planning for school reentry is key to mitigating the effects of extended medical absences (DuPaul et al, 2018), scholars such as Schilling and Getch (2018) found that schools are often underprepared to create or implement plans to accommodate such periods of schooling interruption.…”