Case Studies of Chronically Ill Children

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.