Identity cards for ill children at school

Schoolchildren with myalgic encephalomyelitis
(ME) are being issued with identity cards that allow them to leave
lessons when they feel unwell.

The
Tymes Trustcard also allows pupils to wear dark glasses and extra
clothes, to use a school’s disabled facilities or to obtain other
assistance.

The
Secondary Heads Association is supporting the card. It said the
card will help schools comply with the government’s statutory
guidance on access to education for children with medical
needs.

The
Tymes Trust, which is issuing the cards, says that ME affects
25,000 children and young people in the UK, and is the biggest
cause of long-term sickness absence from school.

Jane
Colby, executive director of the Tymes Trust, said: “If children
with ME have to expend precious energy explaining why they feel
ill, this makes them even more ill.

“Currently, they are often
refused the help they need. Schools and teachers who do not
understand ME are a key cause of relapse in children.”

– More
at www.youngactiononline.com