[Present status and problems of schools for physically disabled children from the viewpoint of a school physician]

We evaluated the problems of physically disabled children in schools, and clarified the roles of school physicians and the appropriate state of child neurologists. The range and severity of disabilities of disabled children in schools have gradually been increasing. Although nurses were assigned to provide medical care, the roles of school nurses differ among schools. In addition, about 50% of primary care physicians for these children are not Board-Certified Child Neurologists. Therefore, the instructions of medical care by primary care physicians to teachers and nurses are not well structured, and increase the physical and mental stress of teachers and school nurses. Thus the importance of the roles of school physicians has been increasing. As a school physician, I would request the followings to the Japanese Society of Child Neurology: (1) a proposal concerning support for commuting methods, (2) further improvement in postgraduate education in medical care and support for physically disabled children, (3) the standardization of written instructions for school, and (4) a proposal concerning the roles of nurses in school for disabled children.