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Return to school after spinal cord injury
P R Sandford1, D J Falk-Palec, K Spears
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Model Spinal Cord Injury Center at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|August 24, 1999
Summary
Children with spinal cord injuries (SCI) return to school quickly after inpatient rehabilitation. While architectural and transportation barriers exist, they do not prevent school re-entry for these young patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Spinal cord injury outcomes
- Pediatric neurology
Background:
- Children with spinal cord injuries (SCI) require specialized rehabilitation to manage their condition.
- Understanding the transition back to school is crucial for their long-term development and integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the typical timeframe for school re-entry after inpatient SCI rehabilitation for pediatric patients.
- To identify specific barriers encountered by young individuals with SCI during their return to school.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patients aged 18 or younger with SCI (paraplegia or tetraplegia) between 1989-1995.
- Inclusion criteria: attended primary/secondary school, completed inpatient rehabilitation, and used a wheelchair at discharge.
- Data collected on time to school re-entry and encountered barriers.
Main Results:
- Median return to school time was 10 days for paraplegia and 62 days for tetraplegia.
- Fifteen of 16 eligible wheelchair-using patients participated.
- Identified architectural and transportation barriers impacting school re-entry.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric SCI patients generally return to school relatively soon after hospital discharge.
- Identified barriers, though problematic, do not ultimately prevent school re-entry.
- Supports the need for addressing environmental and logistical challenges for successful school reintegration.