Cystic Fibrosis

Strategies for Schools / Teachers

1. Overview of strategies for schools.

In order to help support the child during their school year, teachers need to have a good understanding of Cystic Fibrosis and how it affects the particular child that they are teaching. A child with CF is likely to miss a lot of school as they are often unwell, particularly in the Winter months. The child may cough a lot and may need to use the toilet more often than other children. They will also require a special high fat diet which is contrary to most good food diets for other children, and sometimes not allowed in particular schools. Some children may become fatigued more easily.

Here are some suggestions to assist teachers to make school a positive environment for students with Cystic Fibrosis.

• School education

There is plenty of educational information available from several organisations in relation to CF, including Cystic Fibrosis Victoria, the Royal District Nursing Service and the Royal Children’s Hospital. These organisations can send speakers to the school to educate teachers and students.

• Relationship building

Teachers should build a relationship with the parents and the student. The teacher should develop an understanding of the particular child’s needs and obtain information such as the name of the treating doctor should an emergency arise.

Each child will be affected to a different degree – for example, some may not be well enough to participate in school sport but the parent or the doctor will be able to confirm this. They will each have a special diet they need to adhere to which will be different to their school friends and they may need to take enzyme tablet with their food.

• Avoid an over-protective attitude

Children with CF are, to all intensive purposes, normal and wish to be treated the same as any other child. There are just some things they can’t do and some things they must do which are different to their school friends.

Whilst it is important to limit exposure of a child with CF to others with colds and flu, teachers must be aware that they do not make either student feel isolated if classmates must be separated.

• Intervention to ensure a positive school environment

Some school children may not understand why a child with CF needs a different diet to theirs, needs to go to the toilet more often than they and needs to cough a lot. This can sometimes lead to teasing and bullying. Teachers should be alert to this type of behaviour and help other students to understand that some other children have different everyday needs.

For additional comprehensive information it is highly recommended that school staff access the Information Package on Cystic Fibrosis provided by the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute, listed directly below.

Link(s) to other useful online resources for schools on
strategies in responding to a child/young person with this condition

Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute
Information Package on Cystic Fibrosis:

The following link takes you to the Information Packages page on the RCH Education Institute website. Click on the Cystic Fibrosis link in the Information Packages section on that page to open this resource [in pdf format].
http://www.rch.org.au/edinst/pubs/index.cfm?doc_id=711

Association for Children with a Disability: www.acd.org.au

Royal District Nursing Service: www.rdns.asn.au

Disability Online: www.disability.vic.gov.au