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Telling your teacher about your condition
Talking to your teacher about your illness or disability can make life at school easier. Depending on what kind of health problem you have, here are examples of things you should tell your teacher:
- If you have to miss class or need help with any assignments
- If you need to make a lot of trips to the restroom
- If you need to go to the school nurse to take your medicine
- How to help you if there is an emergency or you are not feeling well
Also, you should talk with your teacher about things that the teacher or the school can do to make it easier for you to learn. These can be things like:
- Being seated in the front of the class
- Using a computer to take notes in class
- Using a tape recorder in class to help you take notes
- Having a test read to you
- Taking a test orally
You and your parents or guardians may want to talk to your teachers in person at the beginning of the year, or you may wish to write a letter to your teacher.
If you have trouble talking to your teacher about your needs, other people within the school should be able to help you. For example, special education specialists, therapists, and school counselors may be able to help communicate with your teacher if a problem comes up.
Also, it’s up to you and your parents how much health information you want to tell your teacher. For example, if you need extra time to use the bathroom, you may not want to tell your teacher why. Instead, your teacher could simply be told that you will need extra time between classes.
Content last reviewed February 16, 2011
Page last updated October 31, 2013
