Return to School: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Community Integration After Pediatric Rehabilitation, New Jersey, 2021

Education is an essential part of childhood, and attending school is vital to community integration for children with special health care needs. These children continue to face significant barriers to obtaining a high-quality educational experience, despite decades of federal legislation designed to promote full inclusion and access to schools for everyone. Children with special health care needs often struggle with school functioning because chronic health problems increase the risk for lengthy illnesses and hospitalizations. Pediatric rehabilitation specialists assist these children and their families with the transition back to school after a health event. However, there is a lack of information available to help clinicians, families, and educators plan for the dynamic experience of disability as a child develops and interacts with the school environment. Healthcare providers need this information to evaluate their transition services from hospital to community and develop new interventions that can improve the educational success of these children over time. The purpose of this project was to engage former patients and their families to identify the school experiences and processes that affect their return to school, a key aspect of community integration, after medical rehabilitation. This study used focus groups with parents, former patients, and clinicians to understand the experience of return to school after pediatric rehabilitation, identify barriers and supports, and the impact on educational outcomes based on lived experience.