Skip section navigation (navigation may have changed)
Section navigation
http://www.girlshealth.gov/
Parents & Caregivers
Dealing with school
School 101
Schools can provide great support to kids with illnesses or disabilities. To help a girl with an illness or disability deal well with school, you can:
- Meet with teachers. Point out any special needs, like having to go to the bathroom frequently. Meet with coaches and other appropriate staff, too.
- Provide information. Make sure the school has written health care instructions, such as medication schedules, special diet needs, your pediatrician’s contact information, and emergency plans.
- Encourage her to speak up. If she can’t see something, has a question, or just needs a little extra support, the teacher is there to help.
- Reassure her if she needs special education classes. If a girl is moved out of a mainstream class, make sure she understands that this is done to help her learn better. The move is not a punishment or sign there’s something wrong with her.
- Ask the school to provide work if she misses class. If a child will be out for a long time, find out about special tutors or online lessons. Of course, the main focus should be getting better.
- Ease her transition back to school after a long absence. If she’s going to have special needs after her absence or if she might look different, work with her on what she can say to classmates. Ask her if she’d like to have the school nurse tell classmates what to expect.
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) 
top
Children with certain conditions may qualify for special services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Some of the included conditions are:
- Learning disabilities
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Speech impairments
- Emotional disorders
- Impaired vision or hearing
- Developmental delays
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) lists the kinds of special help a student will receive. These might include having extra time on tests, sitting in the front of the class, or special tools (called "assistive technology") like talking calculators or Braille keyboards.
Here are some key points about IEPs:
- To qualify for an IEP, a child needs to have an evaluation by education professionals.
- When the process starts, you should get information about parents' rights. The rights should explain what you can do if you disagree with the results of the evaluation.
- Special teachers, parents or guardians, and the child all are important parts of the team that writes the IEP. You can invite anyone who works closely with your child to participate in making the plan if you think they can help.
- If you think the services aren’t working well, you can ask for a team meeting.
- If you think a child’s education rights aren’t being met, you have options, including asking for an official hearing. If you think you need a lawyer, you can ask the school district about low-cost or free legal services.
You can learn more about school in our list of resources. And girls can study up on ways to work well at school.
Content last updated January 7, 2011
