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When should a child with a spinal cord injury return to school? - Sara Klaas, MSW

When should a child with a spinal cord injury return to school?

Sara Klaas, MSW

Director, Spinal Cord Injury Service, Shriners Hospital for Children, Chicago

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Transcript
We think children who sustain spinal cord injuries should return to school as soon after injury as possible. The rehabilitation team needs to start working with that child’s school immediately upon the beginning of rehab, in order to prepare th... Show More

We think children who sustain spinal cord injuries should return to school as soon after injury as possible. The rehabilitation team needs to start working with that child’s school immediately upon the beginning of rehab, in order to prepare the classroom, the teachers, the school and their peers for the return of the child with the spinal cord injury. Depending on the child’s age, the preparation is a little bit different, and so a child who is in kindergarten may just be in a kindergarten class all day, same class. If the child is a high school student, they maybe rotating through the hallways, going to lockers, needing to access different teachers, different groups of people. So, we need to talk to the school, find out what the situation is at that individual’s school and ensure that the school understands that the child with the spinal cord injury will be returning. Our kids who return to school quickly seem to do much better because they integrate back into their community quicker than they would if they stayed home and did home schooling.

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When should a child with a spinal cord injury return to school?

Sara Klaas, MSW

Director, Spinal Cord Injury Service, Shriners Hospital for Children, Chicago

More Videos by Sara Klaas
Transcriptadd

We think children who sustain spinal cord injuries should return to school as soon after injury as possible. The rehabilitation team needs to start working with that child’s school immediately upon the beginning of rehab, in order to prepare the classroom, the teachers, the school and their peers for the return of the child with the spinal cord injury. Depending on the child’s age, the preparation is a little bit different, and so a child who is in kindergarten may just be in a kindergarten class all day, same class. If the child is a high school student, they maybe rotating through the hallways, going to lockers, needing to access different teachers, different groups of people. So, we need to talk to the school, find out what the situation is at that individual’s school and ensure that the school understands that the child with the spinal cord injury will be returning. Our kids who return to school quickly seem to do much better because they integrate back into their community quicker than they would if they stayed home and did home schooling.

When should a child with a spinal cord injury return to school?
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