Education Support After AMPS Treatment: Frequently Asked Questions
As your child undergoes AMPS treatment, it’s natural to worry about how they will manage all aspects of their lives – particularly education – when intensive treatment is complete. Our team will work with your child’s family, their school and others as needed to help get them back to active learning with their peers.
Learn how we support educational functioning during AMPS treatment and review the frequently asked questions below about educational support available from the AMPS program team.
Why do I need to sign HIPAA release for CHOP to be able to communicate with my child’s school about their diagnosis, treatment and any needed accommodations?
Signing a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) release form gives the AMPS program permission to communicate with your child’s school about their health needs related to education. Learn about your rights under HIPAA.
By communicating directly with the school, our AMPS team social worker can collaborate with your child’s school to plan for re-entry following discharge from the AMPS Program.
If your child was previously attending school without accommodations or academic difficulties, our social worker will provide the AMPS teams’ recommendations for work missed during treatment in the program and smooth the return to school after discharge. If your child was not attending school full time or had other accommodations due to their pain, our social worker will work with the school to coordinate a smooth return to school without accommodations due to pain, with appropriate plans for work missed prior to and during the AMPS program.
Will my child receive school or tutoring while in the AMPS Program?
No, your child will not receive school services from CHOP while in the program because of the intensity of the therapy schedule.
How will my child make-up school assignments they missed while taking part in the program?
In general, we do not recommend patients complete schoolwork during AMPS Program treatment so they can fully focus on getting better and attend to their well-being on nights and weekends. The AMPS social worker will coordinate with your child’s school to explain this recommendation and to recommend academic accommodations, such as tutoring or extended time to make up missed work when patients return to school. If the therapy team determines a simulated school day may be appropriate as part of your child’s treatment and preparation for return to school, we may ask the patient to bring in some schoolwork to complete during this simulated school day.
What are academic accommodations?
Academic accommodations are adjustments made in your child’s classwork and homework. Some typical accommodations include reducing assignment size and extending assignment due dates.
How can I make sure my child receives academic accommodations when they return to school?
The AMPS Program social worker will contact your child’s school to make recommendations for your child’s return to school. Please note we cannot make schools comply with our requests, but we do find most schools are cooperative.
During your child’s treatment, we encourage you to remain in contact with the school and proactively plan for your child’s return by setting up meetings with guidance counselors and/or teachers once your child has a discharge date from the AMPS Program.
Why can’t my child have physical accommodations when they return to school?
We do not typically recommend physical accommodations because our goal is for your child to be fully functional at the end of the AMPS Program. Being functional means your child can get around in their environment, including school, without limitations due to pain.
Why can’t my child remain on homebound instruction or in cyber school following their discharge from the program?
One of the program’s goals is for your child to return to school full-time. By returning to school full time, your child will keep all the functional gains they have achieved during the program at CHOP.
Support Services for AMPS
Learn more about other services offered to AMPS patients at CHOP: