Introduction to the Special Section on School-Related Outcomes and Success for Youth With Chronic Medical Conditions

Chronic medical conditions permeate our schools with estimates showing that between 15% and 25% of students present with an ongoing illness or disease. Treatments for the most prevalent of these conditions (e.g., diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, juvenile arthritis, and asthma) include hospitalizations, home treatments, and frequent physician appointments-all of which are highly disruptive to children and families. Given the potential medical, cognitive/academic, social-emotional, and behavioral challenges encountered by students with chronic medical conditions, school psychologists are in a unique position to both identify and support the educational experiences of these students. Further, schools provide an ideal forum for outcomes research and intervention programs. This Introduction to the Special Issue on School-Related Outcomes and Success for Youth With Chronic Medical Conditions addresses definitional issues, identifies challenges, reviews the 7 empirical articles in this issue, and discusses areas for future research. This special issue includes scientifically rigorous papers, which feature innovative studies that emphasize real-time, momentary assessments; positive psychology frameworks; and intervention approaches. Impact and Implications Youth with chronic medical conditions comprise 15 to 25% of the student population. The impact of chronic illness on students' success in school is an understudied area of investigation. This article previews seven empirical articles as part of this special issue that examined the association of health factors with school-related outcomes, or interventions that mitigated negative outcomes in students with chronic medical conditions.