Preparing your child for school.

For parents of children with bleeding disorders, preparing for school requires smart planning, some basic education, and a healthy amount of communication. Whether your child is going to school for the first time or transitioning to a new school, preparing is a team effort involving you, your child, teachers, school administrators, the school nurse, your child’s medical treatment center staff and others in your support network.

As the leader of this team, it is important that you reach out to others and approach the process in the spirit of cooperation. After all, your child may be at the same school for years to come. Cooperation, education, and preparedness will go a long way toward creating a safe, supportive, and rewarding educational experience for your child.

Planning.

Much of the planning for your child’s transition back to school or to a new school takes place before the school year actually begins. Anticipating your child’s needs and how to meet them, and then working with all the parties mentioned above, will help give you confidence and peace of mind.

Cooperation, education, and preparedness will go a long way toward creating a safe, supportive, and rewarding educational experience for your child.

Some questions you might have include:

• When and where will infusions happen, and who will administer them?
• Where will factor product and other medications be stored?
• How will your child and school personnel respond to a bleed?
• What is your emergency plan of action?
• What will the make-up plan be for missed schoolwork?
• What activities will your child take part in during gym class?
• What preparations do you and your child need to make for field trips?
• Does the school have wheelchair accessibility if needed?
• Who will be told about your child’s bleeding disorder?
• What rules need to be set about confidentiality?

You can download “Suggestions for an Individualized Health Plan,” which is designed to help you, your child’s medical treatment team, and school personnel address these issues. You will find more information on Individualized Health Plans (IHPs) on page 10 of the booklet.

Educating the staff.

Educating and informing school staff about your child’s medical condition can help clear up misconceptions and reduce anxiety for you, your child and school personnel. When appropriate, you and your child may also want to educate your child’s friends and classmates. CVS Specialty can supply specialized presentations and educational materials to help explain the facts. For further information, contact the CVS Specialty Hemophilia CareTeam at 1-866-RxCare-1 (1-866-792-2731). Our Hemophilia CareTeam representatives are ready to help.

Your hemophilia treatment center (HTC) may also be prepared to provide educational presentations to your child’s school personnel. Be sure to contact your HTC nurse coordinator or social worker for information about what materials and services they can provide. Already use our Hemophilia CareTeam and program for support? Ask how Coram CVS Specialty Infusion Services can work in conjunction with you and your HTC staff to expand the resources available.

Communication.

Open communication between you, your child, the school, and your medical treatment team is the best way to make your child’s school years go as smoothly as possible. Regular communication between parents and school personnel helps ensure that all parties are kept informed of bleeds, behavioral changes, or other signs from your child.

Our School Preparedness Guide and School Preparedness Timeline, which you can download here, provide an overview of some of the topics to discuss with your school and HTC. You can also download letter templates to help communicate your child’s needs for self-infusion or infusion support.

Remember, you are not alone in preparing your child for school. Take advantage of the resources available to you through your HTC, hemophilia foundation and CVS Specialty. The CVS Specialty Hemophilia CareTeam has years of experience helping parents just like you prepare their children for school.