Returning to Education
Going back to school or college after treatment for a brain tumour can be daunting, but for many children and young people it will also be very different and possibly difficult. They need extra support in order to cope and to ensure they meet their full learning potential.
Many children have problems with learning after a brain tumour. This is can due to the tumour and treatment. It can also be due to the stress of the whole experience and missing out on normal life for a time. For example, going to school and keeping up with friends.
Many children are permanently affected by their treatment. They may not cope as well with schoolwork as they did before. They might have problems with:
- information processing, learning new skills and ideas
- short term memory and attention
- problem solving
Some children develop learning difficulties and need extra academic support at school. Some will need to attend a school for children with special needs.
Sadly, many children and young people are not given regular assessment to determine the extent of their need. Its vital to push for these assessments, often given by education psychologists, especially if treatment involved radiotherapy to the brain at a young age. These assessments will help determine how a child is likely to manage at school. If necessary, a statement of extra educational needs should be prepared which sets out a child’s extra support needs and is essential in ensuring this support is put in place.
It’s also very important to ensure hearing and eyesight is regularly checked. Hearing and sight loss are common late effects of brain tumours and treatment and if left undetected, can make it difficult for a child to cope when back in the classroom.
Some children have behavioural problems after treatment for a brain tumour. This can due to the stress of illness and treatment. This might gradually improve in some children. Other children might have behavioural problems because of changes in the brain. These can be caused by the tumour and its treatment.
It’s not uncommon for children who have spent a lot of time in hospital to behave more like their younger selves. This regression is normal and a way of coping. For some children with a brain tumour, this might be their new developmental level. For others, this might improve with time.
Some behavioural problems are out of the child’s control. Others are, and can improve with time and the right support. Its important to ask for help from the school and treatment team as soon as problems start.