ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY INFORMATION PACKAGE FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN FACT SHEET 5: BACK TO SCHOOL

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Darlene Sparks
8 years ago
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1 ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY INFORMATION PACKAGE FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN FACT SHEET 5: BACK TO SCHOOL TIMING The time to return back to school is variable and it depends on you as a family deciding at what stage you want your child to return to school. Things you may want to think about when deciding include: work and family commitments child s pain and independence with toileting necessary supports at school transport to and from school. Mum took me back to school to see all of my friends and my teacher. I am so excited!! Your physiotherapist is able to come and meet you and your child on the first day back at school Your physiotherapist and school will help you sort out how much help is needed depending on when you want your child to go back to school. It is a good idea to start back to school with short visits then progressing to using a rest period during the day before starting full days at school. The return to school should be seen as a positive step as it provides: a distraction from the rehabilitation routine a chance to socialise with friends your child with a feeling of returning to their usual life. Other children are accepting and helpful of children in a wheelchair. Author: Novita-Physiotherapy Page 1 of 5

Children often return to school more easily than you think and happily pick up from where they left off with their friends I really enjoyed going back to school to see all my friends again, it was

2 Children often return to school more easily than you think and happily pick up from where they left off with their friends I really enjoyed going back to school to see all my friends again, it was fun PREPARATION Make sure your family and your child is ready to go back to school and the school has all the supports in place to help your child. Make sure your child, your family and the school are all involved in the decision making process about going back to school. Plan ahead before surgery to ensure the return to school is as smooth as possible: Arrange for the physiotherapist to be there on the first day to assist/train school staff. Have your child and family talk to a psychologist to best plan the return to school. Ask your child s teachers for some school work that can be completed at home. Setting up a school-like routine at home, involving exercise and some school-based work, will help prepare your child. TRANSPORT Getting to and from school I had to lay my child in the back seat with legs straight. My child was like a dead weight to lift. Think about how your child will get to and from school especially with a wheelchair and leg board. Remember in some cases your child s legs may still have to be kept straight and this means they need more space in the access cab, van or car. You will need to check with your child s driver if they are transported with Department for Education and Child Development (DECD). Talk to your physiotherapist about the best way to transport your child to school they may be able to help with arranging a taxi with wheelchair access. Author: Novita-Physiotherapy Page 2 of 5

3 Wheelchair at school Think about how the wheelchair will be propelled into school, around the schoolyard and at lunchtime. Your child may not be able to get around completely on their own so it may be a good idea to organise a buddy system where other students take turns in helping out or being a buddy until your child is able to be more independent. EXERCISES Rehabilitation is still the main priority for your child to ensure the best outcome. Your physiotherapist does not expect the school staff to do the exercises with your child. If exercises need to be done at school, the physiotherapist or physiotherapy assistant will come to your school to do them. School staff may be needed to assist with repositioning and the school may need to arrange for extra help for this so there will not be a greater burden on the class teacher. CLASSROOM ISSUES Think about the wheelchair access into the classroom. With your child s physiotherapist and teacher, work out the best way your child can move around the classroom and join in classroom activities. EQUIPMENT Your child will need equipment other than the wheelchair in the classroom. Plan where this equipment will be used, stored and transported, if required. SAFETY IN THE WHEELCHAIR An important issue for your child in the classroom and schoolyard is safety in the wheelchair. Talk to the school and physiotherapist about any concerns you have about areas the wheelchair may not be safe in. Author: Novita-Physiotherapy Page 3 of 5

4 Arrange special wheelchair rules for your child and other children to follow. These can include: no running around the wheelchair who is allowed to push the chair no tipping the chair brakes on when stopping no one else riding on the chair. Make sure your child has a friend in the schoolyard. TOILETING Make sure the occupational therapist or physiotherapist has assessed the school toilets for wheelchair access and remember to take into consideration the extra space needed for the leg board. Before returning to school think about how much help your child needs to go to the toilet and make sure the support is available at the school. If you are unsure how much support your child needs, speak to your physiotherapist or occupational therapist. CREATE AN ACTION PLAN If you have had problems such as toileting accidents at home, think about how these can be prevented at school. Have plans for what to do if an accident does happen; for example taking spare clothes. PHYSICAL EDUCATION SESSIONS Encourage your child to take part in as many activities as possible at school but remember this may be hard when they first go back to school. Your physiotherapist can offer suggestions for modified activities for your child to do during physical education sessions. Author: Novita-Physiotherapy Page 4 of 5

5 REFERENCES Dryden L (2004): Single Event Multilevel Surgery: A description of stakeholders experiences. University of South Australia, Adelaide. Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature only and does not constitute advice. Novita Children's Services Inc. makes no representations as to the accuracy, usefulness, suitability or application of the information to a child's particular circumstances. You should seek professional advice before acting or relying on the information. The development of this package stems from the honours thesis of Lauren Dryden, 4th year University SA physiotherapy Honours student. A number of other 4th year physiotherapy students on clinical placement at Novita from the University of SA developed the package in consultation with Novita staff. Author: Novita-Physiotherapy Page 5 of 5

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