Many people with MS continue study or work, with adjustments to allow them to do this. In an educational setting, this could include extra time for exams, if concentration becomes difficult, or perhaps the use of a computer instead of pen and paper.

Remember that most teachers, schools and colleges will not know a great deal about MS, so you may have to spend time explaining things to them. It might help to involve a health care professional in these meetings, to explain symptoms and the possible impact on your child in school.

What issues might my child face in education?

School

The relapsing remitting nature of MS means that an affected child or teenager may have unpredictable school attendance, with missed days due not only to relapses, but also due to many scheduled medical visits and treatments. Children may drop out of activities because of sporadic attendance or for physical reasons. Making adjustments for your child will involve working closely with the school or college to determine what issues might be present over time.

As your child may miss out on lessons through illness or hospital appointments, it is important to inform his or her teacher as soon as a diagnosis has been made. The school should be understanding about this and provide extra help if needed. Every primary and secondary school should have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who can organise classroom assistance or any aids your child needs. Some schools are extremely good at providing help, while with others parents can face an uphill battle. It is no longer necessary to have a ‘statement of special educational needs’ to obtain support in the classroom. Organisations like the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) will be able to give further advice and support.

You may want to consider sending your child to a special school as they may be able to get more help in smaller classes. The pupil-teacher ratio in special schools is 6.3:1 (this compares to 22.7:1 and 17:1 in maintained primary and secondary schools respectively). Many children are ‘dual registered’ which means registered in both a mainstream school and a special school. More information on this can be found at the Every Child Matters website.

Moving from primary to secondary school also needs careful planning. Secondary school children have to cope with more stairs, more pupils and more moving around for lessons. It is a good idea to talk to schools early – at the end of Year 5 or beginning of Year 6 – to make sure they are prepared. The school’s SENCO should help. Deficits in attention and memory are likely to have greater importance as children enter secondary school where these skills are much more important.

Further and higher education

Decisions for further or higher education may be influenced by the diagnosis of MS. Some teenagers choose to attend a local college, so that their medical needs can be cared for at home.

As well as the DDA, there are systems in place in colleges and universities to ensure that your child can continue to get an effective, suitable education, however MS affects them. There may also be help with funding for higher education through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). For more information visit Skill or call 0800 328 5050.

 

Fatigue

If your child is affected by fatigue, early mornings or late afternoon might be worse times for concentrating or doing active things at school. They may not have to stay at school all day – this is the kind of adjustment that a school might make. Help them to choose a time where they will be at their best; maybe they could choose lessons that they like most to start with. Checking where the lessons will be taught is important. They may be up long flights of stairs or at the end of long corridors. Changing some classrooms could be another reasonable adjustment. Similar adjustments can be made for other symptoms which might affect the school day. Your paediatric or MS nurse will be able to assist your child with fatigue management planning.  

Bullying

If your child is missing a lot of school, or is perceived as different, then they may be subject to bullying. They are no different from other children in this regard. They may be badly behaved themselves as they ‘act out’ their feelings of fear and feeling out of control, which could lead to them bullying others. There are organisations which can help and offer further information and advice if you need it - see the Further reading and useful organisations page.   

Taking medication at school

If your child needs to have access to their medication at school you should make an appointment to talk to the head teacher about it as soon as possible. The head teacher will be able to tell you what support is available. This issue should be covered in the school’s health and safety policy. If there is a need to clarify exactly what the school can do, they may suggest drawing up a health care plan. School staff members aren’t obliged to help your child manage their medication (unless they are employed to do it – for example, as a health care assistant). But those who volunteer to do so should get the proper training. Schools are advised to consult medical professionals on these issues. Be patient if the school takes a cautious approach. You can find guidance for schools on developing a policy on medical support – and information on health plans – through Teachernet's page on managing medicines in schools.  

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