Complex medical conditions: Issues for parents and what can be done in practice?

Abstract

The issue of children with complex medical conditions is not necessarily a mainstream one for educational psychologists, though an increasing number of such children make it into mainstream education nowadays under the ‘inclusion’ agenda.This article draws on a pilot study of mothers’ experiences on how their children have experienced school life whilst having a complex medical condition. The journey experienced by mothers emphasises their emotional needs, which often do not align with temporal and logical requirements placed on the parent by agencies such as the medical and educational system. Some consideration is also given to the implications of the model, and what could be done to fill gaps in provision.