Supporting pupils in mainstream school with an illness or disability: young people's views

To date, little research has focused directly on health-related support in school for children with a chronic illness or physical disability, yet thes e children are known to be at increased risk for psychosocial and academic problems. In addition, few studies have sought the views of pupils directly : those which have report a wide range of problems with school life. The in creasing numbers of children surviving and managing their health conditions , together with Uh policy for inclusive education, means that a growing pro portion of pupils in mainstream schools require understanding of their spec ial health needs and may need service support from education and health pro fessionals. This paper presents findings from semistructured interviews wit h 33 mainstream secondary school pupils with a variety of illnesses and dis abilities on the impact of their health condition on school life. Results s how that young people valued school and were actively managing the effects of their condition, but needed support from others. Informal support was mo st frequently cited, including parents - particularly mothers - teachers an d close friends. The main difficulties were implications of school absence, exclusion from school life, teachers' reactions to the illness or disabili ty, and peer relationships. The discussion focuses on ways in which health professionals can play a part in supporting pupils both directly and indire ctly, through helping others in school understand the condition and its imp act on school life.