Educational Issues for Children and Youth
with ME/CFS and FMS
School poses many challenges for children and youth with ME/CFS and FMS as well as those who are teaching them. This section provides information for educators as well as opportunity for students to share their ideas.
What Educators Should Know About ME/CFS and FMS
Marjorie van de Sande, B. Ed., Grad. Dip. Ed.
Director of Education
The symptoms of ME/CFS and FMS are real and can be severe. In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, ME/CFS is classified as a neurological illness. FMS is classified as non-articular rheumatism. One of the perplexing things about these illnesses is that the person does not look very ill and in some cases, they do not look ill at all. This leads some people to question whether the person is really ill. Dr. David Bell, renown pediatric specialist in ME/CFS, who was the treating physician for the children in the Lyndonville, New York epidemic, stated the question should not be, “How can someone who looks to well be so ill?” but rather it should be, “How can someone who is so ill possibly look so well?” There is now a wealth of research confirming the biological reality of these illnesses. The severity and most prominent symptoms can vary in children from hour to hour.
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Their activity boundaries fluctuate very quickly. One day they can do something and the next day they can’t.
They lack physical, cognitive, and emotional stamina.
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Students often process information at a slow speed, become confused quickly, have trouble retrieving words and speaking, reading, mathematics, and consolidating short-term memories.
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It is more difficult for them to recall information when they are given more context clues, which is the opposite of normal.
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When they become fatigued, their other symptoms worsen and their cognitive processes become slower.
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They feel worse after exercise, not better.
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They have difficulty maintaining attention when their focus is divided – e.g. between visual and auditory channels.
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They quickly become overloaded by too much information, physical activity, a fast-paced environment, background noise or more than one person talking at a time, bright or florescent lights, odors, etc.
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The overload can cause them to “crash” and they take a long time to recover and can cause a relapse.
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An encouraging word and a smile are always welcomed.
Further Information About Teaching