School Support Programs for Chronically Ill Children: Evaluating the Adjustment of Children With Cancer at School

Abstract

For families of children diagnosed with cancer, the return of the child to school may be difficult both socially and academically. A thorough review of the literature that exists in pediatric cancer school support programs is presented. Results on measures of behavior and academic performance are reported for a sample of children, one group of whom was receiving treatment for cancer and another for whom treatment had stopped. The necessary components of a school support program are presented with particular focus on consumer satisfaction as reported by parents and teachers. Results are discussed with respect to issues that need to be addressed, both in setting up school support programs and in designing future studies in this area.