Teacher perception of burden and willingness to accommodate children with chronic health conditions

Abstract

Children with chronic health conditions need the support of school staff to flourish socially and academically in educational settings. This study explored teacher experiences and knowledge of the following common paediatric conditions: asthma, food allergies, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, heart disease and seizure disorder. Participants included 140 elementary education teachers. This study also explored teacher perceptions of willingness and burden in implementing a range of classroom accommodations. Findings revealed that teachers were less willing to implement accommodations that were perceived to be burdensome. In addition, teachers perceived HIV/AIDS and seizure disorder to be among the most challenging conditions, and they reported the least amount of exposure to childhood cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and seizure disorder. Suggestions to enhance the educational experiences of students with chronic illness are provided. Specifically, expanded collaborative roles for school-based mental health practitioners are recommended.

Keywords:

• children with chronic illness
• teacher experience
• classroom accommodations
• school–family collaboration
• school-based mental health practitioners