MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT PRESENT WITH ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES

Successful school functioning for children with chronic medical illnes ses is a dynamic, ongoing process that requires continuous cooperation and commitment among the home, the medical team, and the school. Havi ng an adequate knowledge of potential illness and treatment effects on academic performance, an appropriately skeptical attitude toward attr ibuting all of the child's problems to the direct medical effects of t he illness, and a willingness to serve as the coordinator among the fa mily, school, and health tare team permits the child psychiatrist to p lay an important role in maximizing the child's success in school and ultimately their positive adaptation to life in general. This article discusses the effects of chronic medical illnesses or their treatments on children's academic adaptation both as a primary effect through ne urocognitive changes or as a secondary effect related to school absenc es, illness-induced stress, constraints on physical and social activit ies, or decreased expectations from family, school, and the health car e team.