No abstract

Medical advances have increased the number of children who have survived and are now living with chronic medical conditions (Irwin & Elam, 2011; Singer 2012). Diseases and conditions that as recently as a decade ago were considered fatal or completely debilitating are now increasingly treated as chronic conditions. Among these are several types of cancer, HIV/AIDS, respiratory illnesses, and severe epilepsy. Increasingly, students with severe chronic conditions are educated in public schools instead of home or hospital settings. The purpose of this chapter is to present case studies of real children and families that will allow educators and others a personal glimpse into the lives of children with chronic illness and their families. Suggestions for analyzing the case studies are provided that will help teachers, administrators, and teacher educators to examine the complex issues surrounding the educational needs of children with chronic illnesses.

Advances in technology have produced a variety of ways for students with a print disability to access written material through audio format: from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic’s pre-recorded books to text-to-speech technology, such as Kurzweil’s screen reader. This chapter will describe the need for books in alternate formats, how they can be used, who the end users are, the pros and cons of various formats, where to access information about the technology available, sample products, and tips for their use. Note: The authors are not promoting or endorsing any specific technology, and received no reimbursement nor are affiliated with any of the products mentioned in this chapter.

Advances in technology have produced a variety of ways for students with a print disability to access written material through audio format: from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic's pre-recorded books to text-to-speech technology, such as Kurzweil's screen reader. This chapter will describe the need for books in alternate formats, how they can be used, who the end users are, the pros and cons of various formats, where to access information about the technology available, sample products, and tips for their use. Note: The authors are not promoting or endorsing any specific technology, and received no reimbursement nor are affiliated with any of the products mentioned in this chapter.

Medical advances have increased the number of children who have survived and are now living with chronic medical conditions (Irwin & Elam, 2011; Singer 2012). Diseases and conditions that as recently as a decade ago were considered fatal or completely debilitating are now increasingly treated as chronic conditions. Among these are several types of cancer, HIV/AIDS, respiratory illnesses, and severe epilepsy. Increasingly, students with severe chronic conditions are educated in public schools instead of home or hospital settings. The purpose of this chapter is to present case studies of real children and families that will allow educators and others a personal glimpse into the lives of children with chronic illness and their families. Suggestions for analyzing the case studies are provided that will help teachers, administrators, and teacher educators to examine the complex issues surrounding the educational needs of children with chronic illnesses.