Most children’s symptoms vary. Your child can attend mainstream school.
It is very common to experience many severe crises while you’re growing.
Always inform school of your child’s condition and what they need to stay well. Health professionals have worked tirelessly to raise knowledge and awareness. They have formulated a framework for an individual health care plan for sickle cell sufferers in the educational environment. The Healthcare Plan highlights the importance of communicating what is needed to ensure well-being and prevention of a crisis while your child/ children are in the school’s duty of care:
- Form open communications.
- Keep the school regularly informed.
- You might have to achieve your health care plan by requesting a care around the family (CAF) process through the Special Educational Needs Care Officer (SENCO) at your child’s School.
- When children are absent from school frequently a welfare officer will (by law) have to investigate.
Get as much help as you can !!!
- Your specialist sickle cell clinic or specialist nurse can assist you in navigating the system to get the best experience in school for your children.
- With the unpredictability of the condition, it is important to have as much support as possible in place, so you won’t have to expend your energy attending meetings at school instead of looking after your child/children and yourself.
- Form a network of family, friends and specialists to help you during hospital admissions and extended periods of absence from school.