Parents of children with chronic illnesses have many challenges to face. One of these many challenges is helping their children stay caught up with their peers in school when they might have to miss weeks of school at a time. So, how can online schools prevent these children from falling behind? Let’s take a look.
1. Students Can Learn from Anywhere
A major challenge for children with illnesses is missing out on valuable class time. In fact, some children are forced to take summer classes or risk being held back due to missed classroom hours. Chronically ill children enrolled in online classes don’t have to worry about missing class time. Instead, they can choose to work on their schooling from anywhere that they have Internet access.
From some of these children, working from a hospital bed or the comfort of their own home is the only way that they are going to complete school assignments in a timely manner as going into a school isn’t an option.
Children with compromised immune systems also benefit from not having to go to a school where they are exposed to hundreds of other people all day. The germs and illnesses that these people carry could be very harmful to someone with a compromised immune system.
2. Students Can Learn Any Time
Children with chronic illnesses might need to be on different schedules than their peers. Students who are in the hospital are going to be frequently disturbed while they are trying to sleep, which leads to daytime naps. This erratic sleep schedule can make it difficult to complete more than a couple of hours of schoolwork at a time. Being able to complete lessons after rest will not only make it easier to get through the work, but it will also help students do better on the assignments than they would if they were trying to stay awake on very little sleep.
When these students need operations, it can be especially tricky to plan out a school day. Fortunately, online schools, such as Acellus Academy, don’t care when students log in to complete their coursework. This means that children can prepare for any long-term hospitalizations after an operation or other treatment by doing more schoolwork before their stay in the hospital. Additionally, after an operation, students can complete coursework as they feel up for it, which may be just an hour at a time.
Medications can also be problematic for concentration. If a treatment or medication leads to a reduced ability to concentrate or anxiety, children might realize they can’t focus on their schoolwork. Being able to do their coursework when they do have the ability to focus on learning will help students be more successful.
3. Students Avoid Trouble in the Classroom for Behavioral Issues
Kids with serious chronic illnesses might also suffer from behavioral issues. These behavioral issues can stem from the illness, the medications or treatments the child is receiving, or the stress associated with having a serious health condition. While behavioral issues are very frustrating for teachers in classrooms with other children, parents can help redirect their children in a one-on-one manner and avoid the embarrassment and frustration outbursts that might occur in a traditional classroom.
4. Students Avoid Torment from Peers
Unfortunately, children with chronic illnesses are often targets of bullying and torment in traditional schools. Sometimes, children don’t truly understand what one another are going through, so it could be that the other kids don’t really understand why one classmate is allowed to miss school a lot or that the illness isn’t contagious. In other cases, a child with a chronic illness might be dealing with mean-spirited, cruel children who have deemed the child to be an easy target.
Either way, teasing and bullying can have both physical and psychological impacts on young children. Avoiding this type of torment can benefit children with chronic illnesses in numerous ways, including reducing stress and anxiety.
5. Students Can Find More Success
When children with chronic illnesses are in school, they might still be battling, fatigue, pain, and other factors that can prohibit their success. Poor grades are common in these students, even when they haven’t missed large chunks of the school year. While schools are better equipped to deal with these types of situations than they were in the past, many students still don’t receive the grades that they are capable of.
Students that choose to do online schooling might notice that their grades increase substantially due to the factors listed above. When students with chronic illnesses are able to do their coursework when they are feeling well, they are more likely to get good grades in all of their classes.
If you are the parent of a child with a chronic illness, an online school might be something that you want to consider. Learn more about how Acellus Academy could help your child.