Children, adolescents, and young adults with sickle cell disease often benefit from additional supports within the school setting.
Sickle cell disease is mentioned in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) as an example of a qualifying disability for special education and related services. Additionally, children and adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease may also qualify for educational accommodations and civil rights protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. We have curated the following resources with the hope that they will help educators and schools to provide high-quality support for students with sickle cell disease. If there are additional resources and/or topics that you would like for us to cover, please reach out to our education specialist, Dr. Lisa Carey (Carey@KennedyKrieger.org).
The following resources provide facts and information about sickle cell disease, as well as overviews of how sickle cell disease impacts schooling and potential supports schools can offer.
- CDC- What is Sickle Cell Disease?
- CDC- Tips for Supporting Students with Sickle Cell Disease
- Kids Health- Sickle Cell Disease Factsheet (For Schools)
- Management of Sickle Cell Disease in the Educational Setting
- Sickle Cell Disease Association of America- A Guide to School Policy
- Maryland State School Health Services Guideline – Management of Sickle Cell Disease in Schools
- Supporting mutual understanding of special education other health impairment eligibility
Students with Sickle Cell Disease often benefit from additional executive function supports. Check out the resources below for more information about executive functions and how to support these critical cognitive skills within the learning environment (both in-person and virtual).
Students with chronic and complex health condition often struggle with mental health concerns that can present a barrier to learning. The following information provides some background about student mental health and potential school-based supports.