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CFS and Schools

Tue, 20/06/2006 - 10:51am — Abbey

What could be done to ease the way for ME/CFS students attending normal schools?

When I went to high school, my teachers were supremely unhelpful.

To save on photocopying one even shrank pages of a textbook down so that two would fit on an A4 page. Needless to say the whole exercise was impossible, an as it turned out there was no test and it was just 'extra reading' that he thought would be good for me.

When I tried going back after 8 weeks resting, my first class was in a demountable lab. I sat on a lab stool for 80 minutes and by the end of the lesson I was a jelly-wobbling mess.

When I finally left, rumours abounded as to why. Very few people stood up and told the truth, and even fewer of them understood why something that sounded so innocent couldn't be remedied with a few weeks bedrest.

Its just not good enough.

I have grown up around teachers and schools all my life and I am convinced that my treatment and that of others is just because of a lack of education and a percieved lack of options. Teachers are humans with real lives and families and generally their goal is to get everyone through with a good understanding of the subject manner. Most who teach in mainstream are not used to personalising lesson plans to the extent they would need to with a ME/CFS student. Because of lack of knowledge on how the illness would affect people, they'd probably have no idea HOW to even if they were willing and able.

By the same token however, it has to be understood that one teacher has to cater for 30-40 students per class, and an awful lot more in high schools, and that at some stages of ME/CFS, asking a teacher to spend a good deal of time on the one student may well be unfair on the other students and on the family of the teacher.

We need to find a happy medium.

This project is going to involve a lot of hands-on work, and a lot of input from those who have been students, those who are currently students, and the teachers and educators.

What I'd like to start doing is gathering either a bunch of personal accounts of your time with CFS at school, things that helped, things that hindered etc

I'd also like to know what you think the top 10 things teachers should understand about CFS students and their learning requirements.

And of couse, toss in anything else you think is relevant Smiling

‹ Interview with Dr L Severe ME/CFS ›
Wed, 21/06/2006 - 4:50pm — Amy

CFS and Schools

You don't really want me to think back to school days do you?? Sticking out tongue
Okay, okay, I will!
I've often thought that if I hadn't of changed schools when I did (right before I started getting sick, and right after my fractured back episode), I wouldn't have had quite so much trouble with the teachers and getting help.
Only a couple of the teachers prepared work for me to do at home, even after I did half-yearly exams and got better marks than most of the students who actually attended the classes!!!

It also would have helped if distance ed was mentioned sooner, instead of practically at the end of a year of me wanting so much to learn, and resorting to borrowing books from the library and teaching myself.

Don't even get me started on the fact of dealing with other students though.....when I was in high school I got rather upset at the way other students treated me, now however, I think I'd be more likely to punch them or run them over!!! :twisted:

I agree that it's hard on teachers to try to help one student out of however many in the class or grade, especially a student with CFS.
I guess it once again comes down to education and awareness.

Top 10 things teachers should understand about CFS students and their learning requirements:
1. This illness is real, and much as we'd like, it's not going away like the flu or a broken leg.
2. The brain fog doesn't mean the student is dumb, or slow.
3. CFS students may need to take longer to absorb and learn things.
4. CFS students may be in pain, and need to take medicine or lie down.
5. CFS is not predictable; just because a student is able to be at school one day doesn't mean they'll be there the next.
6. The 2 minutes given to get from one class to the next may not be enough for a student with CFS.

I think I'll post the others later, when I can think more!!!
Hope this is a help.

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