Managing Osteogenesis Imperfecta in the Classroom

As a special educator, Ostegenesis Imperfecta (OI for short) may not be a condition you have come across before. If not, this article will give you the basics about managing the education of a child with OI in the special or mainstream classroom setting. Here are the facts:

1. OI comes in several forms with varying degrees of severity, and different characteristics.
2. Children with OI are very prone to bone fractures, and may have several fractures at one time which are often at varying stages of healing.
3. Children with OI may have teeth which are quite brittle and so will need expert dental care.
4. Children with OI often have loose joints and weak muscles.
5. Sometimes children with OI can have curvature of the spine.
6. You may notice bruising on the skin of children with OI.
7. Some forms of OI are very severe, and may result in children dying in infancy. Other forms are milder and may not be diagnosed until later in life.
8. Children with OI may have multiple disabilities and additional health conditions.
9. Children with OI often require a multidisciplinary approach to their care and education to help them get the most out of their activities of learning and living.

Be aware that children with OI may not always be diagnosed. As teachers we are usually mandated (depending on where we teach) to report instances of suspected abuse. There have been situations where children have presented with multiple fractures and / or bruising - often a tell tale sign that abuse is a possibility. Although obviously mandatory reporting is a highly useful mechanism for discharging our duty of care as teachers, it is also worth holding the notion of OI in your head as you do so. Remember that the physical signs can be similar and that families may not be aware of the OI at all.

Once you have answered your questions about 'What is Osteogenesis Imperfecta?' you can move on to classroom management. Here are some useful tips:

1. invite parents / children to share some relevant information about the condition with class mates
2. read and research the condition yourself
3. initiate a strong multidisciplinary approach and ensure parents are an active part of this process
4. prepare packages of low intensity, home based tasks that can be done easily to reinforce key skills when a child is absent from school
5. create appropriate physical education activity opportunities such as swimming
6. plan for emergency situations by writing a flow chart of actions, maintaining up to date contact lists and ensuring there is easy ambulance access to your location