Lyme: Kids & School

Information on Lyme disease to educators and students is vital so that children with Lyme disease are understood by their teachers and their peers, and they are given proper educational accommodations by the school. Since children are at the highest risk of acquiring the disease, everyone needs materials on prevention. 

The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) has been providing informational programs for schools since the early 90s and has inserviced educators in school districts and has educated school nurses and special education staff at the local, county and state levels. 

LDA has also provided school programs for students, developed an online prevention powerpoint (40 minutes) which can be used directly from the LDA website in the classroom for free. It includes 4 modules (10  minutes each), a pre and post test and a pronunciation guide. It is suitable for schools, scouts, camps, and anyone who needs a short course in  prevention on Lyme, and it includes easy identification photos of ticks. The LDA has also developed a prevention video for younger students

The LDA has published a special book for students who have chronic Lyme, “Lyme Disease Is No Fun: Let’s Get Well!,” written and edited by  young women who both had Lyme as children and with a book cover note from  internationally acclaimed author Amy Tan, who is also a Lyme patient.  Additionally, LDA provides the ABC’s of Lyme Disease pamphlet written specifically for parents and educators on the problems associated with children. Several doctors and other health care and school specialists have written brief but comprehensive pieces on specific areas of Lyme that affect children. LDA also provides monies for children without insurance coverage from its LymeAid 4 Kids fund.

In this section are articles about Lyme disease affecting children in the schools and news articles on activities over the years focusing on schools.