Fall 2000 ~ Newsletter

Cystic Fibrosis and Education

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Have You Considered Home Education?

by LaCrecia Britton, CRNP

The first year of school can be stressful, sometimes even traumatic, for parents and children.  When the child has CF, concerns of increased infections add to the anxiety.  This anxiety is probably worsened by the fact that parents have always been taught that day care was not a good option for their child.

Settings with large numbers of children are not good for children under the age of two because their airways are very small and easily blocked by the mucus produced during infections.  However, between the ages of two and three, the airways enlarge enough to allow children to tolerate more secretions.  Therefore, most school-age children with CF do well with the usual childhood illnesses that are shared in a school setting.

Good hand washing and current immunizations (including a flu vaccine each fall and the chicken pox vaccine) provides adequate protection for most children.  There are a few children with CF who have a hard time with the usual infections and require frequent hospitalizations and / or increased treatments at home.  These children may benefit from a non-traditional form of schooling.

There are several options available to families whose children are unable to attend public schools or large private schools because of illness.  These include small private schools, homebound education, and home education.

The small private schools decrease the number of infections a child may have be decreasing the number of times they can be exposed to illness.  However, small private schools are not an option for all families because they are expensive and not available in every community.

Homebound education is public education in the home.  It is provided free of charge through the public school system.  Books are supplies from the public school system.  A teacher gives assignments to the child and the child completes these at home.  The teacher comes to the home to grade the schoolwork, instruct, and give further assignments.  Depending on the school system, the teacher usually visits on to three times per week.  Homebound education does require a doctor’s order and may be done for the full school year or only part of the year.

Finally, home education is a viable alternative for over 1.7 million children in the United States.

Home education is 100% directed by the family.  The family chooses and buys curriculum and decides the method for teaching.  Parents teach and grade all lessons, unless of course they involved with group classes or decide to hire tutors for some classes.

Home education requires commitment and a lot of time and energy.  Therefore, illness prevention alone is probably not an adequate reason to consider home education.  However, home education may be something for you to consider if (1) you have religious convictions regarding home education, (2) you are concerned with the lack of morality taught in public school system, (3) you desire social change and want to be an instrument of change, (4) you desire a self-sufficient life style, or (5) you are disappointed with the quality of education offered in your local public school system.

If you are really committed to home education, allow me as a home schooling mom of 10 years to give you a few brief tips on how to get started.  In Alabama, if you are not a certified teacher, you have two options for home education.  One option is to hire a certified teacher as your child’s tutor and the other is to be a member of a church school cover.

If you decide to home educate under the church school system, (1) give yourself at least 60 days to prepare, (2) decide on a church school cover.  The church school cover should be able to give you advice and may have specific guidelines for you to follow, (3) read all you can on home education and curriculum, (4) choose your curriculum, (5) set goals for each child and plan your lessons, and (6) evaluate your child’s learning as you proceed with their education.

For more information on home education in Alabama, check out the following websites:

http://www.alhome.com

http://www.hslda.org

http://www.educationalfreedom.com

http://www.gomilpitas.com/homeschooling/regional/alabama.htm

Your child’s education is important and you should do what is best for your family regardless of your child’s condition.  Encourage your child to make educational goals and help them fulfill their dreams with whatever type of education you decide is best.

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