presentation

Your Patients' Right to Home/Hospital Instruction

Ages 3 - 21

Children in the United States have a right to free and appropriate public education even when they are too sick to attend school. Medical providers can help ensure that children get the services they need.

4 min read

In this section

What is home and hospital instruction?Who qualifies for home and hospital instruction?What is the process?What does instruction look like?Recommended Best Practices A Need for Research and Action You might also like:

What is home and hospital instruction?

Who qualifies for home and hospital instruction?

What is the process?

What does instruction look like?

Recommended Best Practices

A Need for Research and Action

Although approximately 6% of US schoolchildren experience chronic absenteeism due to medical conditions, there is little research on the provision or efficacy of home and hospital instruction. The limited evidence available suggests that many medically-involved children are systematically underserved by their education systems. Through advocacy and education, medical providers can help children to receive the public educations they deserve.

This content was reviewed by an educator at Boston Children's Hospital.

Developmental care is best when it is local. Families local to Boston can seek educational services from the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program, and Child Life can assist in arranging hospital instruction. Families in other regions can click below to find their local program.

References

Anderson, D. (2023). Perspectives on Homebound Instruction from the Viewpoint of the Homebound Educator: A Qualitative Case Study (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).https://www.proquest.com/openview/c3dd0daf5d9f91a07884abe7eb32333d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Patterson, P. D., & Tullis, L. (2007). Guidelines for providing homebound instruction to students with disabilities. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 51(2), 29-33.https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=b03467c1923c7aeddf3b5cdf00e30ca876fa2367

Petit, C. C., & Patterson, P. P. (2014). There's no place like home: Training, practices and perceptions of homebound services. Research, Advocacy, and Practice for Complex and Chronic Conditions, 33(2), 36-52.https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/pders/article/view/13071

Pizzella, R. L. (2019). Missing Adequate Homebound Policies: A Case Study (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).https://www.proquest.com/openview/d06b6f895cc6f20b775474de921d634c/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Rosenthal, E., Franklin Gillette, S. R., Nelson, A. K., Dennis, M. S., & DuPaul, G. J. (2023). Enhancing homebound instruction: current status and potential of telepresence technology. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 32(2), 133-149.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1475939X.2022.2160373

Shaw, S. R., Clyde, M. A., & Sarrasin, M. (2014). Homebound instruction for students with chronic illness: reducing risk outside of the box. Health Psychology Report, 2(1), 1-9.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272866300_Review_article_Homebound_instruction_for_students_with_chronic_illness_reducing_risk_outside_of_the_box?__cf_chl_tk=jFXHeXHSQIDjVr6TT8rZHvVLv65Yg8xLrzrO8KMcqcs-1741795935-1.0.1.1-_jswfMXQ8EODXbIlw6_IfeV6fiC2_kXa5Q9WbOC5Oxg

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