Ronald+McDonald+Learning+Program

Responding to the educational needs of children with a critical or chronic illness
Children who experience serious illness or injury and extended hospitalisation or medical treatment are likely to fall behind in their education and may find it difficult to return to the classroom as they recover. Although the child may be keen to return as soon as possible to "normal" life, teachers will need to be alert to the possibility that the child may have learning difficulties or emotional or behavioural problems resulting from the experience of illness, isolation and treatment. These may occur at any time in the child's schooling and may include :
 * literacy and numeracy difficulties resulting from having missed school
 * possible ongoing medical issues which require monitoring or medication or restrict the child's ability to participate in some class activities
 * problems with peer acceptance or peer interactions, especially if the child has been absent for a very long period, or if his or her appearance has changed as a result of illness and treatment
 * low self-esteem and self-efficacy
 * attention and concentration problems
 * anxiety problems (which may manifest as separation issues and absenteeism)
 * developmental delays resulting from missing play-based experiences
 * impaired executive function
 * loss of social skills.

The [|Ronald McDonald Learning Program] website offers advice for teachers on what to expect, and strategies for addressing the most likely problems they will encounter. These are discussed as they relate to the student, the student's family, other teaching staff, the student's school support network (if it exists), curriculum accomodations, physical adjustments and emotional support.

[|Tips]are also provided as pdf downloads for addressing problems in specific learning areas : numeracy, spelling, writing, handwriting, reading, and comprehension. These are aimed at primary level students and will probably not be new to professional teachers, but may be useful to provide to parents of an ill child to support the child's learning while he or she is away from school.

The Ronald McDonald Learning Program's [|EdMed] presentation is an accredited professional development session which provides teachers with advice and ideas on how to address the educational needs of children with a diverse range of illnesses. It covers the effects of serious illness on a student's learning, curriculum planning strategies, and changes which can improve learning outcomes. It is delivered free of charge in schools upon request.