Throwback Thursday: School Accommodations for ME/CFS

The following posts about school accommodations are written for kids/teens/young adults with ME/CFS, but they are equally relevant to kids with fibromylagia, Lyme and other tick infections, EDS, POTS, and many other chronic illnesses, especially those that are poorly understood by or unfamiliar to most school staff. Also, these posts reference the U.S. system of 504 Plans and IEPs, but much of the information on types of accommodations and information to help educate school staff is relevant anywhere in the world. These posts mostly cover elementary, middle, and high school (primary and secondary schools), but there is some information on college included, too.

I first published several posts on school accommodations back in 2012, so an update was long overdue! A few people had mentioned that some of the links on those old posts were no longer working, and this is certainly information that parents of sick kids still need today. So, I've completely updated them! 

These are the posts that you might find helpful in getting appropriate school accommodations for your child, teen or young adult:

• School Accommodations for Kids with ME/CFS and Related Illnesses - all about the U.S. system, plus tips on finding an Educational Advocate, educating school staff, and more.
  
• Example School Accommodations for Kids with ME/CFS - lists of real-life accommodations my kids (and others) have gotten in school--schools can do a lot more than they think they can!
• Talking to School Personnel about ME/CFS - based on advice to our son on how to explain ME/CFS to his professors in college (but applicable to younger grades, too)
• How Our Son Went from Couchbound to College - just as important as accommodating your child's current needs is improving their condition so they can manage a more normal school experience! This was a summary of what we think helped our son, who missed 90 days of his senior year in high school, start college on time a few months later.
• Effective Treatments for ME/CFS - My full summary of all the treatments that have helped us over the years. We both now lead fairly active, semi-normal lives.

I hope you find this updated information helpful!

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