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Moving from special education to mainstream classes
Find out if you have low or poor self-esteem
Telling your teacher about your condition
Moving from mainstream to special education classes
Your IEP (Individual Education Program)
School life with a learning disability
Moving to special education from mainstream classes
Talking about your illness or disability
Illness & Disability
Illness & Disability
Living with an illness or disability Talking about your illness or disability
Talking about your illness or disability
Talking about your illness or disability with your friends and others at school can be very tough. It's hard not knowing how people might feel about it, but being unsure sometimes is just a part of life. If you need a hand getting started, use the steps below to make it easier to talk about your health.
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You
can decide who to tell. You may choose to tell all of your friends,
or only a few close ones. Some illnesses or disabilities are easier to see
than others. If you have an illness like cancer and the treatment causes
you to lose your hair, it may be easier to tell all of your classmates or
anyone else you see all the time. If your illness or disability can't be seen as easily on the outside, you may decide you only want to tell a few
people. -
Tell people in a way that feels okay to you. Whether you plan to tell just one friend or your whole class, it can help to practice. Try writing down what you would like to say and practicing in front of a mirror or a friend who already knows.
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You can choose how much to tell. Classmates may need only a little bit of information, such as how your illness or disability affects you at school. Beyond this, it's up to you how much to tell people. It can help to take your time to get a feel for how people are taking in what you are saying. If they seem open and you'd like to tell them more, go ahead. They might also want to think about what you have said and ask you questions later. Either way, you can choose to share more details only with close friends.
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Your real friends will still like you. If someone decides they don't want to be friends with you because of your health problem, that person is not a good friend to have anyway.
The more you talk about your health and answer questions, the easier it will get. And as more of your friends learn from you, you will find more support from them in return.
Content last updated June 2, 2007
