School experiences after treatment for a brain tumour.
BACKGROUND: Children surviving a brain tumour face major difficulties including learning problems, lengthy school absences and psychosocial problems, all of which can impact on school functioning. Our aims were to provide information for parents and teachers about the skills and resources of this gr...
| Published in: | Child: Care, Health & Development Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 9 - 18 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
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Wiley-Blackwell
Jan2006
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=106421478&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 106421478 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 03051862 6NX jtl: Child: Care, Health & Development issn: 03051862 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Jan2006 vid: 32 iid: 1 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 106421478 106421478 2009115237 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2006.00569.x NLM16398787 106421478 ppf: 9 ppct: 9 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: School experiences after treatment for a brain tumour. aug: au: Upton P Eiser C affil: CR-UK Child and Family Research Unit, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; p.upton@sheffield.ac.uk sug: subj: Brain Neoplasms Psychosocial Factors Education, Special Student Experiences Students Psychosocial Factors Absenteeism Adolescence Behavior Rating Scales Brain Neoplasms Complications Child Child Behavior Disorders Epidemiology Descriptive Statistics Faculty Attitudes Female Funding Source Information Needs Interpersonal Relations Learning Disorders Epidemiology Male Neuropsychological Tests Parental Attitudes Peer Group Questionnaires Semi-Structured Interview T-Tests United Kingdom Human Adolescent: 13-18 years Child: 6-12 years Female Male ab: BACKGROUND: Children surviving a brain tumour face major difficulties including learning problems, lengthy school absences and psychosocial problems, all of which can impact on school functioning. Our aims were to provide information for parents and teachers about the skills and resources of this group. Specifically, we aimed to: describe the special educational needs of these children; document the impact of diagnosis and treatment on school attendance; compare parent and teacher assessments of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. METHODS: Forty families agreed to participate (response rate = 58.82%). The children (19 males and 21 females) were aged from 6 to 16 years and had completed treatment at least 2 years previously (range = 2 years-12 years 5 months). Questionnaires (Strengths and Difficulties and school experience) were completed by mothers and teachers. RESULTS: Survivors were experiencing a wide range of physical, learning and interpersonal difficulties, according to parent and teacher reports. Almost half the children (n = 19) had ongoing neurological problems that were significant enough to require special help at school. Literacy and numeracy were the most common learning difficulties. Parents also rated brain tumour survivors as having more behavioural and emotional problems than would be expected from population norms. For example, survivors were rated as having more Total Difficulties (t = 6.86, P < 0.001), Emotional Symptoms (t = 8.82, P < 0.001), Hyperactivity (t = 2.25, P = 0.03), Peer Relationship Problems (t = 7.58, P < 0.001) and poorer Pro-social Behaviour (t = -3.34, P = 0.002) than would be expected from population norms. These problems were also seen to be having a significant impact on the child's functioning (t = 3.95, P < 0.001). Teachers rated these problems as less serious than parents. CONCLUSION: These children experience significant problems in school some time after diagnosis and when they are considered medically cured. Closer school-hospital liaison is essential to maximize integration and achievement in these children. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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