M. D. Anderson Opens Classroom Doors to Preschoolers

At The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, the faces in the hospital's school room are getting younger. While the educational instruction of pediatric patients and their siblings has always been a part of the psychosocial care and support offered to youngsters under treatment at the hospital, a new program is now open for children as young as age 2.

Patients and their siblings from young preschool to high school levels now have the chance to continue their education while under treatment or while spending time at the hospital visiting a family member. In addition to core subjects, which are taught by Houston Independent School District teachers, children may experience music, art, creative writing and even vocational counseling as part of their curriculum.

Last year, an Early Learning Program developed by Kristin Hedrick, an HISD teacher who teaches in the M. D. Anderson elementary school classroom, was added to the M. D. Anderson educational curriculum. The instruction, similar to that found in a preschool program, serves ages 2 to 8 and is especially helpful to children dealing with language barriers, delayed learning problems or those who simply have been unable to spend much time in school because of their illness. The program serves from five to eight children a day and up to 30 per month.

Hedrick said the program is an excellent way to help children get ready for school because it is structured with a beginning, middle and a closing activity, such as music or storytelling.

"Children get used to the school format and then the transition into a real school day is easier," Hedrick said. "Basically, this program is a preschool day condensed into one and one-half hours."

Hedrick said the Early Learning Program has generated a great deal of interest from the parents.

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We realized that we were not reaching the younger children and that they were missing important social skills appropriate for their age level," she said. "This program not only addresses the specific needs of these children, but is helpful to the older students because the distractions in the classroom are fewer without the younger children there."

Hedrick said she had a 4-year-old from Turkey in her class who did not speak at all, and spent most of his time banging on the table with markers.

"Before his cancer, his mom said that he had been a smart, active child. Then after his illness, he was just angry," Hedrick said. "The program helped this mother learn how to help her child. By the time he left M. D. Anderson, he could write his name, tell stories, speak a great deal of English and had made friends with the other children."

At M. D. Anderson, one of the unique hallmarks of patient care is the inclusion of the entire family. Patients and their families have access to a variety of educational opportunities, psychologists, child- and adolescent-life specialists, social workers, psychiatrists and educational specialists.

Headed by Dr. Martha Askins, director of the education program, academic instruction is just a part of the M. D. Anderson pediatric education program. Dr. Askins said that classroom doors stay open all summer long with a complete program of summer enrichment activities including art, writing, exercise, music, science, computer lab, geography and many field trips. Educational tools are funded in part by the Pi Beta Phi Children's Enrichment Program. Many activities are funded by M. D. Anderson's Children's Art Project.

"In addition to learning, we offer our patients and their families friendship and support," said Dr. Askins. "What we do here helps our young patients deal with the trauma of cancer. The transition from their cancer experience into a more normal childhood is much smoother."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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