Many children with chronic fatigue and other debilitating illnesses can't attend school, or can attend only part-time. These children usually don't look sick, and so school staff may be thinking "It's all in her mind" or "There's really nothing wrong with her." Even if they recognize that the illness is real, staff may think the child is school avoidant, that the family doesn't really want the child in school, that he or she exaggerates the amount of pain or discomfort, or that "He could do better if he tried harder."
Children with these illness often also have cognitive problems are hard to detect or assess, but which may greatly interfere with their ability to learn. Often schools are unable to accept that these problems are real, or that they are not the product of low intelligence.
Providing accommodations for chronically ill children is expensive for schools. As a result, they often try to avoid giving the child as much help as is needed. Schools have their own problems, and do often have very tight budgets. Nevertheless, their obligation is to provide an appropriate education for all children, regardless of handicap, and parents should be very insistent that they do what they should.
The following files may be helpful for parents struggling with these kinds of problems.
Disabled student access to education explains the laws which guarentee a free and appropriate education for disabled students.
A School's Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is written with chronic fatigue in mind but contains information which may be helpful to parents of children with other kinds of problems.
Caleb's Story: A Child's Journey Through Chronic Fatigue Syndrome contains information about how one parent struggled with schooling.
YPWC Nicole Foster tells her in-school peers, "I'm Not Dead, I'm Just Homebound."
YPWC Rebecca Dugar gives us some basics of homeschooling.
In addition, the CFIDS Youth Alliance has a great deal of information about schools and education for YPWCs.
If you have questions, let me know.