EDUCATIONAL-PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPINAL-CORD INJURY

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine educational partic ipation and accommodations for children with spinal cord injury (SCI) or disease in primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational settin gs. Methods. Written surveys were developed for students with SCI and their teachers. Fifty-three participants had SCI onset before age 18 y ears, were at least 4 years old and enrolled in a school program, and had residual motor disability without cognitive-behavioral impairments Results. Nearly all participants were enrolled full time in regular e ducation classrooms. Seventy-five percent of primary-level participant s and 32% of secondary-level participants were qualified for special e ducation and related services, receiving teacher aide assistance as we ll as occupational and physical therapy services. Most participants we re graduating from high school and pursuing postsecondary education. C lassroom performance and grades were reported as average or above aver age, but curriculum modifications were commonly made, and many partici pants required human assistance and assistive technology in functional and classroom tasks. Access barriers were often reported by participa nts using wheelchairs, and those using augmentative writing aids were not fluent with these devices. Conclusion. Accommodations in schools f or students with SCI appear to support completion and advancement to h igher levels of education, but these accommodations appear to be geare d toward participation rather than levels of performance and productiv ity that may be realistic for work and other community settings.